Bullet with Butterfly Wings
by 1Pagan3
Summary: The demon wasn't the only one that visited the Winchester's that fateful night, and they took the youngest member of the family with them. Now years later on vacation, an odd encounter raises the question: Is Sammy still alive?
1. Chapter 1

AN: Ok, here's something else from my totally demented mind. Let me know if I should continue with it. Thanks!!! **Disclaimer: I do not own anything in reguards to Supernatural, they are from the wonderful minds of Kripke, and his awesome crew! I promise to put the boys back when I'm done (the Impala might me another matter - jk!!!) **

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John knew that his family had to get away from home for awhile, that's why he had insisted they all go to the Grand Canyon. Dean was now on a break from school, Mary was in between charitable functions, and the shop was doing well with the new mechanic that he and Mike had hired. Some people might call it running, but he was willing to call it what it was; saving their sanity. Last month they would have celebrated Sammy's seventeenth birthday, instead they all had sat around the kitchen table staring at nothing wondering if the youngest member of their family was still alive, and if so was he ok. Taking a peek in the rearview mirror, he saw his still beautiful wife napping in the back seat and knew that the last month had been extremely hard for her, having a friend who had a daughter Sammy's age and seeing how much the girl had grown and changed from a small child to a wonderful young woman. Thinking back now, he couldn't keep his thoughts to that night over sixteen years ago.

_John had fallen asleep in front of the TV again after he Mary and Dean had checked on baby Sammy and wished him a good night. The rest of the evening had been quiet, and after tucking Dean into bed Mary had decided to call it an early night herself. It wasn't long before something had woken her and being the overprotective mother she was, had gone to check on her boys. It wasn't until she had sleepily stepped into Sammy's nursery that she knew that something was very wrong._

_A scraggily looking man was pinned to Sammy's wall while another man was laughing at him. It wasn't until both men heard Mary's gasp of surprise that the man was dropped from the wall and instantly grabbed Sammy from his crib and ran past Mary, knocking her to the floor forcibly._

"_JOHN!!!" Mary had screamed, horrified of what was happening, even though she couldn't believe what it was that she was seeing. The remaining man looked familiar, but before she could think about it, he disappeared leaving her to rush out the door screaming for her husband as she ran down the stairs and into the night after her baby's abductor._

He still remembered the horror he felt being woken by Mary's terrified screams, and the sight of the man running out the front door with a crying bundle in his arms. He had immediately chased the man down the street and was dismayed to see that the man was working alone as he jumped into an awaiting van and took off down the street, no lights and no license plates; just a nondescript van with no way to trace it.

He would have loved to have said that they had pulled themselves together after that, but it was a lie. Dean had spent two months not talking at all, while Mary had spent so much time crying the doctors had insisted on putting her on anti-depressants which John looked at the quack in disbelief before plowing his fist in the man's face. Of course his wife was depressed, no one had believed that someone, much less two men, had come into their home and ripped their baby boy away from them without a trace; anyone would be depressed under those circumstances.

Now though, they were going on vacation, trying not to remember that more than likely Sammy would have graduated this spring and would have either been looking at college or following his brother's footsteps as a mechanic in the shop before his training as a firefighter began.

Oh they were so proud of Dean. He was a strong young man in both body and spirit, with a quiet intelligence that often shocked people who were just meeting him. He had never gotten over the loss of his baby brother; even taking the blame that someone had snatched Sammy during 'his watch'. That had amazed the doctors after Dean had finally admitted that one, they all knew he had felt guilty, but to that extent was beyond belief; after all what could a four year old boy have done?

Looking over at his eldest son, John smiled as he watched Dean napping while he should be navigating. He knew that Dean had been out late partying with one of his girlfriends and that at the moment the young man sitting next to him had to have a killer hangover, but he couldn't feel any sympathy for him at the moment. After all, both he and Mary had been reminding their son for the last three and a half weeks about the trip. Smiling he couldn't help but wonder which girl it was last night, and if his Mary would approve; nah, she'll never approve of one of Dean's girls, that was a given.

They had crossed into the Oklahoma panhandle and it looked like they were needed another fill up, he loved the Impala but the gas mileage sucked. Seeing that there was a small gas station up ahead, he was thankful for the break. Pulling in at the pump he was almost shocked when an older man wearing a greasy uniform immediately came out and started to pump the gas. When the man came to the window John looked at him before asking, "Do you sell cold drinks here?"

The man smiled and looked at the occupants inside the classic, liking the obvious family he saw inside. "Sure do, why don' y'all go on inside an' grab some while I finish up here?" he asked, his accent clear that the man hadn't left the state in his life.

Looking the man over, John nodded, they all needed to stretch their legs and figure out where they were. Helping Mary out of the backseat, they made their way to the small shop inside and felt the immediate relief of the water cooler unit that was keeping the small area nice and comfortable in the late spring day.

Dean looked at his dad and couldn't help himself. "So dad, when are we going to put air conditioning in the car?" Seeing his dad's horrified face, he laughed as he reached to the top of the cooler and got his mom a cold 7-UP, hoping that it would help ease her stomach. He couldn't figure out why they were driving, when any long distance traveling was usually curbed by his mom's motion sickness. He knew she hated it, after all, she and dad had traveled everywhere they could after they got married, but a couple of years ago she contracted a nasty ear infection that she was still dealing with the side effects from; mainly riding in cars for too long of a time.

The old man had just walked in the door to settle the bill when a young man around Dean's age burst through the door waving a gun around. "I want all the money Joel, now! Every bit of it, no holding back!"

Shocked, all the occupants in the room stared at the young man in disbelief, wondering what possessed the kid to do this in broad daylight.

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Johnny had just been dropped off outside of Goodwell, Oklahoma and it looked like his search for another ride was going to continue. If he had to deal with another perv wanting to 'sample what he had' he was going to go ballistic. What made some people think he was a pushover he didn't know, he was over six foot and although thin, he still had enough muscle mass to take care of himself in a fight if necessary. He had been told more than once that he had 'soulful eyes', whatever that meant, and unfortunately they seemed to get him into more trouble than out of it. He had seen and done too much in his sixteen years to take much stock in things like 'soulful eyes' or any other type of crap that some of his short term acquaintances had tried to sell him on. Right now though, he had to admit that he was in a tough spot, the Oklahoma panhandle wasn't the place to be to hitch a ride – there was hardly anyone around as it was, and the heat wasn't helping anything. Coming up to a gas station he thought he could find out how much further Goodwell was, and if there was a bus station he could try his luck at. He knew that he had a couple of credit cards that he hadn't used yet, but it had been awhile, and he wasn't sure that they hadn't been reported stolen, but sometimes you just have to take a risk.

Walking up to the small store he couldn't believe what he saw. Some coked out kid was trying to rob the station and the people who were in it. Normally he'd just walk away, but there was something about the woman that was there that had his inner voice kicking the crap out of the remaining pieces of his conscience while he spurred forward. "HEY!" Johnny yelled, shocking not only the people being robbed, but the idiot thief as well. "You want money? Come and take mine!"

He saw the disbelief in the clerk's eyes and had to admit that he could completely understand the sentiment, he couldn't believe he was doing this either. Seeing the man with the gun swing around at him, he knocked a display over towards the misshapen crook then clocked him on the jaw with a left hook, knocking the man out onto the floor. Looking back to the clerk, Johnny asked, "How far is it to Goodwell?"

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John stood there wondering what had just happened. They hadn't seen a single soul on the highway for who knew how long, then all of a sudden this kid appears out of nowhere and saves them from being murdered. Normally he wouldn't be that dramatic, but he saw how the gunman had been shaking and the crazed look he had, made John certain that the DT's the person now knocked out on the floor was experiencing was making everything feel more prominent and intense, which was a recipe for disaster.

Looking at the kid who was calmly asking about the next town, he couldn't help but wonder who the guy was and what he was doing in the middle of nowhere with no car in sight. Hearing the clerk tell the kid that they were thirty miles away from the nearest town, he was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his wife and son both blurt out in unison. "We'll give you a ride."

Dean had no idea what just happened. He and his family were on their way to the Grand Freakin' Canyon for crying out loud, getting held up was not part of the itinerary that his mom had so meticulously sketched out. Then seeing some guy come out of no where, knock the robber out, then calmly ask for directions in such a calm and direct manner was just so far beyond Dean that he had no idea what came over him when he heard his and his mom's voice volunteer a ride into the next town. Looking at the new guy he couldn't help but play the game he had played since he was four and his baby brother had been taken away. He called it 'are you him?' Anytime he's met a boy that looked about his brother's age he'd start to compare features, but somehow always found the person lacking somehow. He had stopped playing the mental game because it was _driving_ him mental to the point that once he was so convinced he had found Sammy, that he had practically stalked the kid for a month before he found out the kid was really from Idaho, and had the birth certificate to prove it. That let down had sent Dean crying himself to sleep for two weeks.

Now though he couldn't get the image of Sammy out of his head. Dark hair, dark green eyes, fair complexion… check, check, and check. Now all he had to do was… 'Oh my God!' Dean thought as he looked at the stranger's face as he smiled. Looking at his mom he couldn't help but notice, and he wondered if maybe she did too. He had always been told that he looked like his mom except for his eyes and smile, those were from his dad, but the person in front of him had his mom's smile and dimples like his dad, and he wondered if he was going completely insane with his secret quest to find his missing brother.

Mary had been terrified, not for herself, but for her family; they had lost so much already, there was no way they could survive losing anymore. After watching the newcomer take matters into his own hands, she couldn't help but stare at him wondering if she knew him from somewhere. When he smiled at their offer for a ride to the next town, she couldn't help but feel as if the air had been sucked out of the room but she still wasn't sure how she knew the young man. Looking at Dean she had to wonder about the look on her son's face, but decided to wait and ask him about it later in private, she didn't want to upset John with their wild musings.

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John hated uncomfortable silence, so it was no surprise to his family when he looked at the young man who had just settled into the backseat of the car and said, "My name's John Winchester, this is my wife Mary, and my son Dean."

Looking at the man behind the wheel, Johnny couldn't help but wonder if this was some sort of a joke. He had been 'traveling' for over a week, and the last couple of days had been treacherous, and now he was in the midst of Ozzy and Harriet? Quickly deciding to see how it all played out, he shook the man's hand and volunteered, "Johnny Doe." At their odd looks, he laughed, "Yeah, I get that a lot. You should see what it actually says on my birth certificate." He couldn't believe he said that, he was definitely more tired than he thought.

Confused, the Winchester's looked at each other, and couldn't help but wonder what would be more odd than having the most generic name known to man. Shrugging, they got on the road and headed to their destination, not sure what they should think about their new passenger.

Dean had to wonder about the person sitting next to him, but thought better of prying and scaring the kid out of the car. It had to be a hundred degrees in the shade, and the guy had been walking by himself for who knew how long. He couldn't help but wonder what would have happened to Johnny if they hadn't met him and offered him a ride, which of course made him wonder about Sammy and if he was somewhere hitching a ride too. Shaking himself out of his reverie, he looked at Johnny. "So, what with the hitching, don't you know that's dangerous?"

John couldn't believe what had come out of Dean's mouth and was going to apologize to the young man when he heard Johnny smirk then respond with a casual, "There are things out there more dangerous."

Mary was suddenly filled with sadness that such a young man could have such a cynical view of life. Not one to hold her tongue, she turned towards him and asked, "How old are you?"

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AN: And the verdict is...???? 


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays, I thought I'd update this one before the others - don't know why, just... Merry Christmas!!! Oh, this chapter has reference of becoming and emancipated minor, and if anyone doesn't know what that means, let me know and I'll explain it more. Don't forget - let me know what you think!!!

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Johnny couldn't have felt more out of place if he had tried. Here he was in a car with a family who obviously cared about each other, and they were looking at him as if he was the greatest puzzle since the discovery of Egyptian Hieroglyphs, now the woman wanted to know his age and somehow it felt more than idle curiosity. "Sixteen ma'am." He told her while looking into her face to gauge her reaction, and wasn't disappointed when he saw the questions flashing across her face. What did surprise him was that she refrained from asking whatever it was she wanted to know, but then again, he was pretty sure he already knew what she wondered.

He hadn't had much luck in the family department, and knew more about taking care of himself than some adults he'd met along the way. He had received his Emancipation papers nine days after his last birthday; he would have been able to get them sooner except the courthouse was closed for the holidays. He had been impatient that whole week, seeing as he didn't celebrate anything; there was no real reason to. It took another two weeks before he could take the GED test then another week and a half before he got the results and the Certificate of Diploma, only because he bribed a clerk at the testing facility to put a rush on it. His reasoning had been 'the sooner I get it, the sooner I'm free', having been dragged in front of a judge more than once for not being in school, as well as being 'unsupervised'. Now though, he was an adult, he didn't have to answer to anyone, and the rest of the world could finally kiss his ass; that is if he could stay hidden long enough to be forgotten. That was the worst part of being in the system; he wasn't too hard to find if someone was looking.

Dean watched as the kid to his left had retreated somewhere into his own thoughts, and he had to wonder where he went. He had been as surprised as his parents to hear that Johnny was sixteen; he also felt a sense of disappointment. Sammy was seventeen now and was hopefully living a good life, although he was secretly wishing that this stranger next to him was really his brother; no matter how irrational it seemed. He had hoped that he could get some investigating done before he started the Academy later in the month, but then his parents wanted to go on a 'family vacation', now he couldn't help but feel that if Johnny wasn't really Sammy, he'd never find his brother. He had spent years helping his dad at the shop, going to school because that's what was expected, even dated girls he was sure would make his mom happy, but he finally realized that it just wasn't him. He had been expecting a big blowout when he sat down at dinner one Sunday and broke the news that he had quit school and was joining the fire department, instead they smiled and said that they knew he'd be a lot happier, then dropped a bomb on him 'Let's celebrate! How about the Grand Canyon?' He knew that they secretly thought he was just letting off some steam and would be back in school in the fall. They had no idea how long he had really thought about it, and knew that if being good and doing what was expected didn't bring his brother back, then he might as well be happy with what he was doing.

John couldn't help but wonder what type of a life a sixteen year old boy would have to have in order to be in the middle of nowhere being grateful for a ride. Looking in the rear view mirror, he saw Dean looking at the younger man in fascination and had to wonder about what had captivated his son's attention. He felt a nudge on his arm and looked at Mary, who was trying hard to convey something, but he was definitely not getting it; making her frustrated, which made the faint lines on her forehead more pronounced. Looking back at the boy in the backseat, something hit him and it took everything in him not to run them off the road. 'What the hell?' he thought, not believing where his brain was taking him, 'It can't be!'

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Toby Norris could not believe what he just found out, in fact if it had come from anyone else he would have thought the person drunk; Johnny was no longer in the system and had seemingly fell off the planet. Sighing loudly, he dismissed the informant and turned back to his computer to pull up the very large file of a certain Baby Boy "Johnny" Doe, and started combing through the megabytes of information that he had been given from the last caseworker until he found what he was looking for:

_Johnny Doe granted Emancipation by the courts on Jan. 3rd, 2000. Notified of Mr. Doe's passing status of GED on Jan. 26__th__, 2000. Current location unknown. Client Status: Closed_

It was now June and he was just now getting this information. How the hell was he supposed to protect the kid and others around him if he didn't know where the kid was? Now he was going to have to bring in others to help round up Johnny and bring him back into the fold, and some of the better hunters in his group of people would rather put a bullet in the boy's head than risk again what happened to the others. He wished it was different, however since they had no idea how far the demon got that night, there was no way to know how Johnny would be affected later.

Not wanting to make the call, but knowing that it would only make things harder if he waited, he pulled out his cell phone talked briefly to the person who answered then packed up his laptop and left the small coffee shop in the middle of Anywhere, USA, knowing that he could have very well just signed Johnny's death warrant.

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The Winchester's were sitting in a small diner silently thinking about their experience with Johnnie Doe. None wanted to bring up the subject, even though they knew that the others were feeling the same. Mary couldn't stop herself, "John, we need to find him. We shouldn't have let him go off like that by himself." She looked between her husband and her son and had to wonder if she was the only one who felt that way. As soon as they had made it to Goodwell, Johnny asked for them to pull over, thanked them for the ride, and didn't look back as he walked into a gas station that looked to have had better days. Not knowing what else to do, they had agreed to find a place to eat and stretch their legs; each knowing that it was a lie, they wanted to figure out what was going on.

Sitting there with Mary and Dean, John couldn't get the kid's face out of his head. Dark hair, green eyes, and dimples from his side, added with thin frame, narrow nose, and Mary's smile made him wonder if he had been hallucinating in the heat. 'Maybe we _should_ think about air conditioning in the Impala' he thought wryly, knowing that he wasn't imagining things, but then again what were the odds of finding their baby on the side of the road seventeen years later.

Dean couldn't believe that no one was saying anything even his mom was quiet and it made him edgy; she made them talk out everything, no matter what the issue. Now though it was as if someone had called a sudden game of The Quiet Game, and he hated to admit that he needed someone to say something. When his mom had spoke about Johnny, Dean was sure that it was a way to open the conversation, but the moment passed because no one had an idea of where the kid was heading. Sighing, he was about to put in his two cents, when someone came running into the diner yelling about a fight around the corner. Before anyone could say anything else, he found himself outside looking at a crowd that had gathered to watch two guys have it out in the graveled parking lot. It took him a few moments, but he managed to get to the front of the crowd and saw Johnny duck as the burly man he was fighting swung out his arm. He couldn't help but watch as the kid they had just picked up on the side of the road, fought against a man who looked to outweigh him by close to a hundred pounds, and by the look of it, was holding his own. It wasn't until another minute passed that things changed drastically.

John and Mary chased after Dean wondering what he was thinking. Finally finding their son at the front of the ring that had formed, they realized that one of the fighters was none other than Johnny, and although he looked a little bruised, he was doing pretty well for himself. John watched as the boy ducked and dodged until he could get an upper hand then struck back when the other man least expected it. So engrossed in watching the fight that he didn't see what was going on in the crowd across from them until he heard Mary shout, "SAMMY, LOOK OUT!" making the boy's concentration crumble as he turned toward her confused, giving the man the opportunity to hit him full force in the jaw sending Johnny to the ground unconscious.

Mary had seen a couple of men in the crowd across from them with what looked to be crowbars, and she was sure they were getting closer to Johnny. She hadn't intended to call out, but before she realized it the words were pushing out of her mouth as if they had a life of their own. To her horror though, she contributed to the young man's fate and that upset her as much as seeing the boy lying in the dirt totally oblivious to his surroundings. Before anyone else could do him anymore harm, she, John and Dean rushed to Johnny to make sure he was alright. It wasn't until a voice boomed through the crowd that things came crashing back down on them.

"What the hell is going on around here?" Sherriff Baylor yelled as he pushed his way to the middle of the crowd.

The man that Johnny had been fighting spoke up first, "Sheriff, this punk kid not only hustled a pool game, but stole my wallet."

The Sheriff rolled his eyes before producing the wallet in question. "You mean this wallet Bodie? Karen found it under the pool table, she said that you knocked it over when you were showing off those stupid concert tickets you won."

Bodie looked at the wallet in the Sheriff's hand and cringed, suddenly remembering how he had taken it out to show the tickets to a couple of buddies after he had already made a bet with the kid. Cringing, he knew that this wasn't going to settle well with his wife beating on a kid, no matter the reason. Looking over at his buddies, he saw that they still had the damn crowbars in their hands and he knew that things had suddenly changed; he needed to see just how much though. "Pete, you said that the kid took the wallet. You lyin' about the rest?" Not getting a response, Bodie was ready to kick some ass and it had nothing to do with boy on the ground surrounded by what he could only hope was his family. Looking around, he made it known that there wasn't anything else to look at and helped to get rid of the onlookers before turning to the Sheriff. "Alright Cliff, you have a solid case against me, you might as well make the most of it."

Sheriff Baylor couldn't understand how some people lived by the seat of their pants and in full force too. Shaking his head in disbelief he had to wonder why Bodie didn't just walk away from the situation until everything could have been thought out. Now he either put a normally good man behind bars, or let these visitors believe that all small town politics were corrupt; not a good position to be in. He was just about to take Bodie into custody when a voice off to the side stopped him.

"Don't worry about it, Sheriff." Johnny groaned as he sat up trying to remember the license plate of the truck that ran him over. Looking around he saw the Winchester's looking at him with concern and worry. 'Odd.' He thought, trying to figure out why they'd worry about _him_. Picking himself off the ground he looked at the guy he had played pool with earlier and saw the wallet in his hand. Smirking, he motioned to it before asking, "I take it you found it?"

Staring at the young man in front of him, Bodie couldn't help but shake his head. "Sorry about that kid, some of my buddies thought it would be funny to…"

"FUNNY!?! Your _buddies_ could have killed him for a _wallet_!" Dean yelled at the man, not liking that it looked that this bunch of morons were going to just walk away from this. He was about to say something else when a hand on his shoulder grabbed his attention. Turning, he saw Johnny look at him questioning.

They all stood in the parking lot in silence for a moment before Sheriff Baylor finally asked, "Are either one of you going to press charges?"

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Sitting in the diner nursing a headache, Johnnie had to wonder about what had happened outside as well as what was going on around him. The Winchester's had insisted that they buy him something to eat and make sure that he wasn't hurt, and at the moment the offer was made he didn't have the energy to refuse. Now though, he felt like a specimen in a Petri dish, and it was making him feel very uncomfortable. Seeing that Mr. and Mrs. Winchester as well as their son couldn't keep their eyes off him, he was wondering if maybe he had hit his head on the ground harder than he thought; after all, who would care if he got hurt.

Taking another drink of his iced tea, he was about to grab another couple of Tylenol's that he had in his bag when the guy Dean reached out and pulled the bottle out of the side pocket of his duffle for him. Looking at the guy in bewilderment, he had to wonder if maybe he had stepped into something weirder than what he had initially thought. Swallowing the pills, he closed his eyes and let his mind wander for a moment before looking at them and asking, "Who's Sammy?"

Mary's heart stopped when Johnny asked that question, how was she going to explain what they suspected; she'd sound like a complete lunatic. Looking between John and Dean she finally said truthfully, "He's our youngest son."

Knowing that there was an obvious story behind that statement, Johnny didn't say anything at first. All he wanted to do was get away from these people, and they were starting to make it a lot easier by trying to make him something that he wasn't. Nodding, he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a ten dollar bill to cover the bill and got up. "Look, I appreciate you sticking around, but I think this is where I go one way and you go another." Taking his duffle bag and slinging it onto his shoulder he was almost to the door when he heard Mrs. Winchester's voice choke out, "We think you're Sammy."

Not hesitating, he only nodded and replied, "I know" before walking out the door looking for his next ride.

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Having lucked into a ride with a truck driver who made him promise not to tell anyone he picked up another hitchhiker, Johnnie was now free to let his mind wander back over the events of the day and try to figure out what the hell the Winchester family was up to; what did they really have to gain by acting like he was their son and brother, it made no sense to him. Relying on his skills to read people, he knew that what they wanted to believe was that he was their Sammy, and he wasn't going to lead them on like that. Whatever happened though, he was sure they were good people, and he hoped that they would find their missing Sammy soon.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: A little long, but hopefully you'll all enjoy it anyway!

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Dean couldn't believe his parents, instead of following Johnny out the door, they had just stood there as if that was the way it was supposed to be. All the while he was shouting in his head, 'GO AFTER HIM, HE'S SAMMY… DON'T YOU CARE!!!', but not able to move from his spot for some reason. He had been hoping for some sort of response from someone, but no one had moved until well after Johnny had gone out of sight. Now they were on the highway heading towards the Grand Canyon as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Either his parents were in denial, or insane; it was truly a toss up at the moment.

John knew that his suggestion to continue the trip had sounded uncaring, but unless they knew which direction Johnny had gone, it would be like looking for a needle in a haystack. His first instinct had been to chase after the boy, but knew that after what happened earlier he was probably more than a little jumpy. He hadn't told Dean or Mary, but every time they stopped he would ask about Johnny, hoping that someone had seen him somewhere. Trying to stay focused on the road, he knew that they were going to need to find a place for the night soon even though they did still have light; Mary may have wanted a family vacation, but she had insisted that it would be a _relaxing_ one. _Right, like that was going to happen now._

'What was I thinking?' Mary thought to herself as she laid back in the backseat trying to make sense out of everything. 'The first family vacation in seventeen years and I think that everything is going to be perfect.' Letting her mind wander back to the possibility that they had found Sammy after all of these years, she quickly switched from hope then despair. How could she even entertain the idea that the boy they saw was actually him. Knowing that they would be stopping shortly, she took solace in knowing that the remainder of her family was just as confused as she.

Johnny thanked the truck driver again for picking him up and let him know that anywhere would be a good place to drop him off. After ten minutes of the driver arguing, they came to the agreement that he could stick around until Albuquerque which at their rate of speed, as well as running a dual log book, would pull them into the city around ten pm 'give or take a little' the driver smirked. It had been closer to midnight, and Johnny was beyond caring. After getting a room for the night, he fell asleep on the hard bed with his clothes and boots on, not caring about what was going on in the world outside.

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Having already known how much he had in his wallet, Johnny knew that fifty two dollars wouldn't get him far if he was going to stay in one place and sleep in a bed. However there weren't normally too many placed willing to pay cash at the end of the day, no questions asked. As he sat there filling up on the biggest breakfast he could find, knowing that it would probably have to last him a day or two, he started listening to the people around him. It had always amazed him how many people really believed that their private conversations were… well, private; as if a small barrier like a chair or bench could keep the words in their own little personal spaces. Taking a moment to pause and listen into everyone's conversation, it took a moment to realize that there might be a job waiting for him after all.

"Can I get ya anything else there honey?" the waitress asked, not hiding the fact that her curiosity was getting the better of her. She'd seen a lot of people walk through the door, but she had to wonder about this one. Most runaways were fidgety and scared of their own shadows, or had been on the streets long enough they were dead inside. This young man was either older than he looked, or had a story that she would probably never know. 'Too bad, I always did like a good story.' She thought as she poured him more coffee.

He knew that she was watching him, wondering what his story was, and that was ok; it might earn him enough sympathy points to get what he wanted. Looking at her he allowed a sheepish smile before beginning, "Actually, I'm hoping you can help me out. I'm just passing through, but need a job for day or two. You wouldn't have heard about any around have you?" he asked, knowing that she had been close to a couple of guys talking about the tight spot they were in. He watched as she thought about it for a moment then motioned for him to hold on before moving to the table that he knew she would. After a very short conversation, one of the men looked over at him, shook his head and listened to the other guy for a moment before getting up and walking his way.

"I hear your looking for day work. What can you do?" the guy asked abruptly. He might be in a bind, that didn't mean he had to admit it.

Johnny looked at the man and had a hard time suppressing his laugh, was this guy for real? "I can do a lot. What do you need?" he asked, not wanted to sound argumentative, but he wasn't the one who needed a semi full of truck tires unloaded.

The guy looked him over as if hoping there was more to him that met the eye, then sat down across from him. "I have a truck coming in full of truck tires. I wouldn't normally have a problem except one of the guys came down with pneumonia, and another is taking care of his newborn after his wife's passing. Damn OSHA won't allow anyone to drive the forklift without 'proper training' and I can't do it because of a screwed up back. So, kid, you want to work like a dog all day in the heat, and get paid in cash a little over minimum wage?"

Smiling, Johnny looked at the guy, "I needed a workout anyway."

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John watched as the guy put the Impala on the flatbed tow truck, there was no way he was going to have them tow her any other way. Mary had already warned the driver that he had better take care of their baby otherwise there would be hell to pay. He just couldn't believe that she died on the road like that, she was the most reliable piece of machinery he owned. Now looking at her made him wonder exactly what the hell had happened, there was no signs of what was about to happen, she just died… on the road… in the middle of nowhere. Ok, maybe not the middle of nowhere, they had gone through Albuquerque less than an hour before, but still.

Mary watched her husband mentally cuss up a blue streak and she could only shake her head. She knew that it was a mystery why the Impala suddenly decided to act up, she had been there when he gave her the last once over before the trip, not to mention the complete tune up the week before. Now though she had to watch as the family car, which was a member of the family, was put up on a flat bed to be hauled off to a garage where some stranger was going to run their hands all over her; how degrading. Turning back around she watched Dean throw rocks across the road and knew that he was upset about more than just the Impala.

He wanted to go home, that was all there was to it, he wanted to go home and get back to his everyday save some people, rescue kittens out of trees existence. This whole trip was quickly becoming a bust and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Hell, even the Impala knew they shouldn't have left Johnny or Sammy or whoever the damn kid was. Why couldn't anyone but him see that? Now they had to go back to Albuquerque, and didn't that just bring to mind a Bugs Bunny skit, so they could carry on with a family vacation that didn't include the whole family. Was he the only one who could see how wrong all of this was? He knew his mom was watching, and being in full little kid mode, he didn't care. This was his time, and damn it if he wanted to be a twenty one year old man throwing rocks across the road, then that's what he'd be! Turning around he looked at her and suddenly realized something; she had never given up on Sammy either, she just didn't know how to take another disappointment. Walking over to her, he gave her a warm hug, "It's ok mom, we'll find him again." He may have been talking to her, but he suddenly felt better about the situation, something just sounded so _right_ about what he said he couldn't help but believe it himself.

An hour later the Winchester's found themselves in the remnants of a strip mall turned Industrial Park and wondered how they got into this mess. The garage they had been taken to was full of new model vehicles mainly in for customizing, leaving both John and Dean cringing in disgust over some of the things they were doing to the vehicles. Mary had headed off the manager and explained some very important information to the man, mainly: if you're not qualified, don't touch! After assuring each member of the family in turn that the car was in good hands, the manager showed them a small coffee shop a couple of doors down and told them he'd meet them as soon as he knew something.

Sitting at a table, trying to read a paper and not listen to the local gossip was really starting to get on John's nerves, but he knew that in order to find out what was wrong with their car it would take some time. He looked at Mary who was already writing letters to friends and family telling them all about the 'excitement' they were having, while Dean was looking at something out the window as if someone had just kneed him in the crotch. "Son? Hey Dean, are you ok?" he asked, trying to see what he was looking at.

Across the way there seemed to be a tire shop with facilities for eighteen wheelers, and a few guys scrambling around one very big truck. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary at first and was just about to go back to the paper when a couple of guys scrambled out of the back of the truck and proceeded to grab and roll a few of the tires they had just unloaded to the back of the warehouse. Stunned, he sat there in silence and couldn't help but wonder if the heat had finally gotten to him, because they couldn't get this lucky, could they? "Mary? Look out the window." He said quietly, hoping that he wasn't about to break her heart again.

Having just finished another letter, Mary was more than willing to see what had her guys so entranced and wasn't surprised that it had something to do with big engines. "Really John, you know me, see one semi I've seen them all."

"No Mary, look. Watch the warehouse, he should be coming out any second." John couldn't help himself, the more he thought about it, the more excited he became. He knew that Mary was getting a little worried about his mental health until two men walked back out into the blazing New Mexico heat and she heard her gasp beside him.

One of the men looked exactly like Johnny would from a distance, and she couldn't help but wonder if it was really him or if all of their combined hopes were bringing on a mass delusion. Gathering her things quickly, she was almost to the door before her men caught up with her and tried to do the unthinkable; talk her out of it.

"Mom, we don't know if it's really him. What are you going to do, walk up to a complete stranger and ask? What if you get close and it's not him? Mom, you can't be serious." Dean was talking, but his mom wasn't listening. She made up her mind, and she wasn't going to change it.

John had always known his wife was a firecracker, and it was these moments that really proved it. He couldn't help but wonder what she was going to say to the man if he wasn't Johnny, but was even more curious to see what she would say if it was.

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They had been working non stop trying to beat the heat, and it looked like they were making some decent headway, but they knew it wasn't going to last long. The first truck was due right after lunch, which meant that Johnny would have to continue unloading the rest while the other guy worked on the work order. Although it would be nice to have a little more money in his wallet, he was really wishing he had gotten an earlier start.

He and the other guy Stu had gotten into a routine, knock off enough tires to start a pile, jump off the truck, then start rolling the tires one by one into the warehouse to be either stacked, or lined up; depending which ones were going to be used that day. He didn't have a problem with hard work, it was better than starving to death, so it was surprising to him when the boss had told him that they had to fire two guys last week because they were slackers, and 'how about a job kid?' Politely refusing, he had continued with work until he heard something that made him groan out load.

"JOHNNY!" Mary yelled, finally getting a good look at the young man and knowing that it was really who they thought.

Feeling trapped, Johnny was just about to brush her off using the excuse, no… reason, of work when his boss stuck his head out the door and yelled for him to take a lunch break. Knowing that there were just some things not to fight against, he allowed himself to be led into a coffee shop where a sandwich, chips and a soda suddenly appeared in front of him.

He was starting to feel like he was in an episode of The Twilight Zone; he couldn't get away from these people. Looking around the small table he couldn't help but wonder what had them staring at him like that. Opening his bag of chips, he started eating and trying to make sense of his situation, falling completely short of his goal. Glancing back out the window toward the job he had for the day, he wondered how much longer it would take to get the rest unloaded and get the hell out of there; after all, if these people could find him, then the others were close by as well.

"So, you going to be staying here for awhile, I take it you have… family you're staying with?" Dean choked out, knowing that the only family that Johnny had was them, and damn if it wouldn't be a lot easier if the kid realized it.

Shaking his head, Johnny simply stated, "No family" while still analyzing the truck then suddenly looked across the street. Turning around he called out, "Hey Stu, do you think that hardware store would let us borrow one of their pallet dolly's?" Getting the positive response he was hoping for, he settled back into deciding how many more trips he could shorten the day by, when he saw a hand wave in front of his face. Startled, he suddenly realized that Mrs. Winchester had been trying to get his attention. "Sorry ma'am."

Mary had been watching her … Johnny… stare off towards that truck he'd been unloading and was sure he was lost in his own world for a reason. Now though she had his attention and she wasn't going to let it go that easily. "So, Johnny, do you have a place to stay?"

John almost spilled his coffee when he heard his Mary ask the boy that, leave it to her to get to the point quickly and decisively. Looking next to him, he saw the same reaction from Dean and was happy to know that he wasn't the only one taken by surprise.

Sighing, Johnny had about enough, and he hardly knew these people. "Mrs. Winchester, I know that I remind you of Sammy, but I'm not him. So please, for both our sakes, drop it." He told her quietly then got up and walked out leaving the rest of his lunch untouched.

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John had no idea how he was going to get Mary back in the car, he didn't even know if they _should_ get back in the car. After spending all day in the shop with diagnostic machines up the ying yang, no one could tell him why his beloved car died, or better yet, why she miraculously started up again. Now he was having to practically blackmail his wife to leave a town that held a boy who didn't want anything to do with them. 'Sure, leaving now is going to be a piece of cake.' He thought sarcastically, watching Mary and Dean conspire together over something before his wife totally surprised him.

"John, I feel like a beer." Mary said with a complete and total straight face, giving no room for argument.

Dean had gone over and talked to a few guys in the garage and found out that after work the guys at the tire center usually went out for a couple of cold beers and a few games of pool to unwind. He didn't know if Johnny would be there, but he wasn't willing to let the opportunity pass to find out. Talking his mom into it was the easiest thing he'd done since getting into Lisa Miller's pants after the Junior Prom, she not only was for it, but was leading the way.

Pulling into the Roundup Club, the Winchester's weren't sure what to make of it. Although the sign announced family entertainment, the sticker on the door said 'No one under 18 permitted by penalty of law', making them all wonder if maybe they had the wrong place after all. In for a penny, in for a pound came to mind when they walked in and saw the place filled with blue collar workers having just got off work and wanted to take some time for themselves before being tossed back into the real world known as Honey-Do lists, and baby bottles.

Finding a table in the corner, they settled in and tried to see if maybe the guys from the tire center had made it in yet. Not able to see much of the back, they were still able to see the door. They didn't have to wait long before a chipper waitress smiled at them and gave them each a menu.

"Hi, I'm Carly! We have some wicked buffalo wings, but if you want a real meal I'd go with the club sandwich. I know it doesn't sound like much, but Sal is a wiz with them."

Dean couldn't help but fall in love, alright more like lust, but he really wished his mom wasn't sitting next to him at that moment. Pulling himself out of his daydream, he wanted to ask about Johnny, but before he had a chance she was gone taking care of other customers. Groaning, he allowed the image of her ponytail to flounce out of sight before looking at his parents. "Ok you two, could you make it any more obvious that you're my parents?" he asked at their laughter. He knew that they couldn't help it, but one of these days his mom was just going to have to become a little more understanding.

Carly was back to take their order and she couldn't seem to stop talking about the pool game going on in the back. "I've never seen anything like it, it's like the guy doesn't have an off button." She rambled, not noticing the confused looks on her customers faces. "I mean really, it's still friendly, but I'm just hoping it stays that way you know?" she asked, looking around the table as if they were in complete agreement. "Although, I have to admit, I haven't seen anyone play like that in a long time… you know, you all could go watch, I'll make sure your table's saved." She said as she picked up the menus and disappeared again, this time to turn in their orders.

Looking at Mary and Dean, John had a feeling that they should really check out the pool game. Getting up, they followed the noise and were able to nudge their way in to watch as a burly man looked to be in deep concentration while he chalked his cue, but stopped suddenly when a voice from the side broke through his thoughts.

"You know too much chalk does as much damage as not enough, Paul. Take the shot!"

The man Paul knew that if he made the combo he was shooting for, then he'd have the rest set up to win the game. Of course it also meant that if he missed the shot he most likely will have lost to the kid who had won the last five games in a row. Looking across the table he saw the kid Johnny watching him with idle curiosity, as if he had all the time in the world, and that the money sitting on the edge of the table didn't matter.

Johnny knew that he should have already left, he'd won too many and had gathered a quick rep which could get him hurt of worse when he walked out the door, but it wasn't really his fault that the first guy had scratched on the eight, and the third had too much to drink right before starting the game. Now though as looked around the crowd he had to admit that his luck had been holding out, no one was mad. In fact they all seemed ready to see what else could happen. Watching the guy Paul take his shot, he was almost rooting for the guy if for no other reason than to make everyone else here happy so he could slip out before anyone noticed. Unfortunately, lady luck was fickle and dear old Paul hit his shot, but it went wide and only bounced harmlessly off the velvet sides.

Paul had realized that he messed the shot up as soon as his stick hit the ball and to see it fail so spectacularly was something that he wasn't going to forget any time soon. Looking over at the kid he could tell that this wasn't the outcome he had wanted. Looking around he could understand why. No one believed the kid was cheating, in fact Paul was willing to bet on the opposite, but crowds had a way of getting grumpy as the beer flows. Nodding his understanding he made a mental note to make sure no one messed with the kid when he left. "Well, you got me by rights Johnny. Let's see what you got."

He had his shot almost lined up when he smelled something familiar and couldn't help but look up. Standing directly across from him was the very person he was trying to get out of town, Mary Winchester. Taking a deep breath, and trying to ignore the smell of her perfume, he took his shot make some cheer and others groan when his shot finished clearing the table. Looking back over at Paul, he saw the man hold out his hand.

"That's some good playing kid, you should go pro," He told Johnny as he held out the money, "then again, it looks like you already have." The sound of laughter brought a smile to his face, and he wanted to convey to the kid that there were no hard feelings, and he was just about to voice his thoughts when the kid had to duck out of the way of a bottle.

Johnny knew things had been going too smoothly, and he wondered not the first time why he hadn't left already. Ducking the beer bottle had been easy, and he didn't think twice about it since the fist attached to it was flying toward his face. Apparantly someone had been placing bets and had lost big, now he was public enemy number one and all for actually playing _honestly_ for a change; that would teach him. He was so concerned with the guy in front of him who had suddenly switched from bottle to switchblade, that he hadn't seen his friend coming up from behind until Paul had dropped him at his feet. It took a few minutes for the crowd to be split between friend, foe, and neutral, and he was more than a little surprised to see a blonde woman taking a beer bottle to the head of a guy who hadn't finished making up his mind which side he was on.

Dean had seen the guy going after Johnny with the beer bottle and was impressed by the speed the kid showed, then when the fight had broke out in earnest, he realized that it was going to take everything he had to keep his mom from jumping in the middle of it; not that she hadn't managed it anyway, but who knew that Mary Winchester was a brawler! Seeing the fight starting to die down, he and his dad kept the newcomers away from Johnny while he took care of the ones challenging him face to face. He couldn't get over the fact that this guy, possibly his brother, could take care of himself in an array of circumstances. It made him more proud of the man that his Sammy had become; if he was Sammy, that is.

Finally the last beer bottle was dropped, the last punch tossed and the last drunk fallen leaving the remaining people ready to go home and take a nap. Paul checked Johnny over and offered him a place to stay for the night, which he declined and settled up his bill before he left wondering if anything in life could be easy.

Mary watched Johnny leave and kept an eye out the window to see where he was going before gathering up their cold dinners and rushing her guys out the door. The didn't have a problem catching up to him with the Impala, but he was doing his utmost best to ignore them. It wasn't until John had had enough, and had pulled in front of him that he finally looked up and asked John, "What will it take for you people to leave me alone?"

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AN: How was it? Let me know! 


	4. Chapter 4

AN: First off... Happy New Year! Stay safe! Second: I know that a Devil's Trap is also called a Devil's Snare... but I went with the more familiar.

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Standing on the side of the road, looking at a boy who could very well be his son and trying to come up with an answer to a question asked, was not how John Winchester saw this vacation going. 'What will it take for you people to leave me alone?' Johnny had asked, and now that he was faced with coming up with something that both of them could live with, he was at a loss. Taking a deep breath he said the first thing that popped into his head and out of his mouth, "One night."

Stunned, Johnny looked at the man in front of him and couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Ok, that's just sick man, seriously… leave me alone!" he said as he quickly walked around the man who kept insisting was his father, and started the trek down the road, wondering how he was going to stop them if all three were armed.

Dean choked on his Mountain Dew when he heard his dad and could tell that his mom wasn't fairing much better. Neither could believe what had come out of the eldest Winchester's mouth, much less how clueless he appeared at Johnny's reaction. Watching the one possible lead to his brother walk away, Dean scrambled out of the car and jogged up alongside him. "Ok, I get that that sounded totally wrong, and believe me when I say… ewww! So how about from now on you let either me or mom do the talking, alright?"

Johnny stopped and looked at Dean with disbelief, "Man, you don't know me and you keep following me, just how sick does that make you?" he asked, trying to remember exactly which pocket he put his knife in this morning.

"Look, I get that we haven't made the best impression, but you need to understand that this means a lot to us. It's not as if we walked up to you out of the blue and asked for a DNA test, right?" Dean was trying his damnedest to get through, but he couldn't tell if he was succeeding. 'I thought _I_ had a poker face.' He thought as he watched Johnny's eyes flicker, but not give anything away. "So what do you say, we find a motel, we grab a couple of rooms, and you spend one night out of the rest of your life listening to why we think you're our Sammy."

Looking between Dean and the other Winchester's behind them Johnny knew that they weren't going to let this go. "No calling foul when you realize I'm not him, no funny business, I get a separate room, I leave right after breakfast by myself, and I never see any of you again."

Surprised only for a moment, Dean looked at his parents to see if they heard and weren't disappointed when they both nodded their agreement. "Great! Let's get back to the car and find a place to stay, hey, anyone in the mood for pie?"

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Mary sat there watching the young man in front of her drink his iced tea and pick at his pie while they had told him exactly why they believed he was Sammy, and how long they had been looking for him. It wasn't until after John had managed to tell him about how he still felt guilty for not getting to the door in time to stop the intruder from taking him. Now though, Johnny looked as if he was pondering something but was still determined to keep it close to the vest. She had to hand it to him; he definitely had the Winchester stubborn streak. As she sat back, she watched the other patrons of the motel diner get up from their tables and leave to head back to their rooms for a night of rest, she wasn't sure if she was going to be so lucky.

"Well, it's been nice meeting you, but I can't be your Sammy. The first of many reasons is, my birthday is Christmas 1983 and I was born in Maine." Johnny said gently, not wanting to hurt the woman across from him, but he had been more than patient, and it hadn't been his idea to drag this out. Looking at the Winchester's he couldn't help but feel bad for the waste of their time, even if it wasn't his doing, he could feel their disappointment.

Not to be dissuaded, Mary held firm in her belief and simply asked, "What if that's what the kidnapper told you? What if you're really ours but any proof to who you think you are, are just lies given to you to throw us off?"

John wasn't sure what to think, his Mary was usually the most level headed person he knew, and right now she was starting to sound a little unhinged. Looking between Dean and Johnny he could tell that they were thinking the same thing, and he had no idea how to fix this. If Johnny wouldn't even stop to consider the possibility, then what choice did they have but to let him go? "Mary, we tried, we need to let him go."

Not even looking at her husband, Mary continued to watch the young man in front of her, "I know that this is a lot to take in, but please, at least think about it. We've looked so long, and I'm sorry, but I can't just let you go because you don't want to see what's in front of you."

Johnny had been thinking about a lot of things while he was sitting in front of the Winchester's, and he was sure that if he actually shared his thoughts, they wouldn't have a problem with him leaving and never coming back. Then again, wasn't that what he wanted? "How many children do you have?" he asked, watching their reactions change from surprise to worry. He knew where he was going with this, but he also knew that they didn't.

"Two, both boys. Johnny we explained…"

"How many vacations have you taken since your children were born?" he asked, taking another sip of his tea. He was really going to hate himself for this in the morning.

Puzzled by the question, John answered, "This is the first one since…"

"What sports did your son play? Did you make it to every game? How about summer camp? How many times did he get to go? How many times have you redecorated Dean's room?" he asked, then paused before he continued. "How many times have you done the same to Sammy's?" Seeing the shocked look on each of their faces, he stood from the table. "You have two sons, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, but all I've heard is your focus to find the one you lost, you've hardly mentioned the one who's been right there by your side." Pulling out his wallet, he took enough to cover the tip then walked out of the diner to go back to his room; he really didn't want to see the shattered look on her face anymore.

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Dean couldn't believe what he just heard, even more, he couldn't believe what he just felt. He had never thought about the times that he didn't go to camp, or that his parents insisted on being at every game to the point of obsession, or that when he redid his room he was actually leaving a part of Sammy behind. It never occurred to him to feel like he had missed out on anything except his little brother. When he did play football the few seasons his parents said yes, he would wonder what Sammy would think seeing his big brother on the field. He had always thought they were fine, he never saw the smoke screen that Johnny revealed. He never saw his life as being on hold or put to the side. Now though as he watched the expressions on his parents' faces, he understood that they hadn't done it on purpose, they just couldn't move on like everyone included themselves thought they should. Getting up from the table, he mumbled something about going for a walk then slipped out the diner not paying attention to where he was going.

It wasn't until he looked up and saw a door that he realized where he wound up. Reaching out to knock, he paused wondering what he was supposed to say. Finally he managed a light knock and stood there waiting for some sign that someone was there. When the door swung open though, he wasn't prepared for what he saw. Johnny was in a towel with water streaming off his hair. That wasn't what grabbed Dean's attention though, the woman putting her clothes on behind him was definitely a surprise. "Uh, I'll come back…"

"Come in, she was just leaving." Johnny said, as he gave the girl a kiss and whispered in her ear, leaving the girl blushing as she practically skipped out the door.

Looking around the room while Johnny said bye to his friend, Dean saw that he had been wandering around for the past two hours. 'Great, now Mom's going to be freaked.' He thought wondering how his life had got so screwed up. Feeling someone watching him, he looked over and saw Johnny leaned back against the door staring at him. "Look, I …"

Johnny smiled and waved any explanation off. "Don't worry about it, like I said, she was just leaving. So, I take it things didn't go well after I left." It wasn't a question, more like a statement of fact, as if he knew what was going to happen all along. "Grab a beer and sit down. You look like someone kicked your dog."

Dean watched as Johnny shut the bathroom door after grabbing a set of dry clothes. Walking over to the small fridge, Dean grabbed a beer and sat down on the bed and looked at it puzzled. "Uh, you know you shouldn't be drinking." 'What the hell? When did I ever give a crap about that?' he thought as he remembered the times he and his buddies had snuck out and had their own beer bashes on the weekends. He heard the laughter coming from the bathroom and knew how he felt, it had sounded ridiculous to his own ears too.

"So, things didn't go according to plan, and you're wandering around a motel off an Albuquerque highway in the middle of night? You know, I have to hand it to you, you're a braver man than I." Johnny said with a smirk. Sitting down across from Dean he saw the raw pain and felt something unfamiliar jump out at him. "Need a place to crash for what remains of the night?" he asked, not really certain if he wanted the man before him to say yes or not.

Dean couldn't remember ever feeling so uncomfortable, and it mostly had to do with the way he thought his life was, and how it was in real life. He had always known something was missing, but he had always known what it was; Sammy. Now though, he was starting to understand that even though he had a pretty good life, a lot of it was emptier than he thought, and he didn't know how to deal with that. "You know I didn't want to hurt anyone, I just wanted you to leave me alone." Johnny's voice broke the silence and made Dean's heart hurt more, to the point that he did what came naturally. "Well great job with that. You know, you don't have to worry about us bothering you anymore, because you're right; you're not Sammy. There's no way that Sammy would have ever turned into someone like you!"

How he managed to walk across the parking lot to his and his parents' room, Dean had no idea. He felt numb and all he wanted to do was sleep for a week and put this damn family vacation behind him.

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Mary and John had watched both boys walk out, and neither one could blame them. They both had forced an issue that one boy didn't want to talk about and the other was so hopeful for that it was painful to watch. Now though their son was off somewhere by himself, and they had no idea how to find him. After searching some of the more obvious places, they had gone back to room to wait, hoping that after Dean let off some steam, he'd be back and they could piece everything back together again.

The door to the motel room opened and they were relieved to find Dean unharmed. At first they all looked at each other, but it wasn't until they heard him speak that they understood just how heartbroken their boy was. "I'm going home; you can finish the trip without me."

Not knowing where he had been, they wanted to ask, but the look he shot towards them pulled them up short. Neither wanted to push Dean further away, but they couldn't let him suffer in silence either. "Dean, you need to talk to us. Where did you go?" Mary asked, hoping that he hadn't done anything stupid, but more worried that he had.

"Don't worry Mom, I didn't go get laid if that's what your worried about; that privilege had already been taken. Would you like to know his preference? Although I wouldn't really know, I only saw one; it might have been a fluke." Dean said, watching as realization dawned on their faces. "Yep, that's right, Johnny found himself a little girlfriend, bet that didn't fall into your perfect view of him did it?" Dean smirked, he knew he wasn't being fair, but damn it, he suddenly felt old, and he wasn't ready for that yet.

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After having a shower, three beers and four hours of sleep, Johnny grabbed his bag and left the key with the motel clerk who looked be really into the latest John Grisham novel and barely acknowledged the young man who was checking out before the first wake up call was going out. Not wanting to waste too much time, he pulled out a prepaid calling card and punched in the familiar numbers while leaning against the phone booth. He knew that it wouldn't take long for the call to be answered, and he wasn't surprised when it was picked up on the second ring.

"_That better be you, damnit!"_ a gruff voice answered, obviously woken up, but more importantly wanting an answer.

"Yeah, it's me… sorry, got kinda tied up."

"_Oh God, tell me that it was something easy like a biker gang or… hell kid, tell me it was a stampede of wild elephants, anything but…"_

"Nope, sorry, no wild elephants and the biker gang was out to lunch." He felt tired, more than that, he felt like he needed to get to where he was going and quick.

Obviously not the answer the other party was looking for, Johnny heard a muffled curse before the voice came back. _"Alright, that's it, where are you? Me and Ellie are on our way."_

"Whoa, hold up cowboy. Don't worry about it, I took care of it. If they think I'm their son now, then they're crazier than I am." Johnny paused and smiled when he heard the smirk on the other end of the line. "I hate to ask though, but do…"

"_Man, what are you still on the phone for? Either start walking or acquire some transportation. You know we're not going anywhere. What do I tell Ellie?"_

"I don't know when I'll get there, so don't mention it." He said, knowing what would happen if he was late, which brought something else to mind. "How'd she take me not calling?"

"_Just get here man, the quicker the better."_

Pulling his duffle higher on his shoulder, Johnny started down the road, his new destination in mind.

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The Winchester's were quiet during breakfast, the fiasco of the previous evening still burning brightly. John was on his third cup of coffee, while Mary was still nursing her first cup of tea of the day. Dean had been quiet since they all woke up, and neither John nor Mary knew if he still meant to go to the airport after breakfast. The startling revelation that Johnny showed them still sat wrong with the family and in the quiet morning there was no relief for their own thoughts.

Their waitress put down the check but spoke softly, "I hate to disturb you nice folks, but these some gentlemen who would like to talk to you."

John looked up at her, then in the direction she was pointing seeing two men wearing cheap suits that neither one looked comfortable in. "Any idea who they are?" he asked, trying to decide if they were trouble or just a nuisance.

"They have ID saying that they're agents of some sort looking for the guy you were with yesterday, they've been showing his photo around." She said as she refilled John's coffee. "If I were you, I'd go out the back door, whoever these guys are, they're not feds." Seeing Dean's questioning look she smiled. "I dated a fed for awhile, and believe me, you never forget the vibe."

Confused, they watched her saunter off as if she had just imparted the wisdom of the world. Looking at each other neither Winchester knew what to think when the two men walked up to their table and flashed their ID's.

"I'm Agent Barnes, and this is my partner Agent Noble. We were told that you had been in close proximity of a certain young man, please take a look at these pictures and tell us if this is him."

Dean looked at his Mom and could tell that she was as shocked as he was. He might not be a great literary critic, but even _he_ knew that Barnes and Noble was a freakin' _bookstore_. Before he looked at the picture, he looked at the 'agents' and asked, "So, what are you looking for this guy for, he a mass murderer or something?"

It took the man posing as Noble to clear his throat and after glancing at Barnes answered, "Not exactly, he has a long list of cons, but his latest has been going to families and trying to convince them of being their long lost son, usually giving them a sob story about people chasing him and after they take him into their homes he robs them blind."

Mary gasped at the first photo, seeing a mugshot for the Juvenile Detention Center in Albany, New York. Johnny looked a couple of years younger than he did now, and as if he hadn't showered in days. The thing that broke her heart the most was the blackened bruise across the right side of his dirty face, as well as the hollow look in his eyes as he looked straight into the camera.

Dean saw the picture and he felt cold rage start to burn deep, making him want to take these men and make them tell the truth about why they wanted Johnny. Seeing his Dad out of the corner of his eye, he could tell that the eldest Winchester was struggling to keep his cool as well.

"You said you had more than one photo?" Mary asked, wondering why they would need to bring more than one. When they produced the second, she wasn't certain what would have warranted it being brought, it was a side view, this time it showed and exposed inner wrist where Johnny held up the placard, more importantly it showed what was on his exposed wrist; a tattoo of what looked like a Devil's Trap. Mary only recognized it because her church group had done a series of mythological symbols and it had come up when The Key of Solomon was mentioned. Looking at John she knew that he had some sort of plan, but she had no idea what it could be.

John looked at both photos again before he looked at the agents, "No, I can't say that we've seen him. What do you think Dean, anyone familiar?" he asked as he looked at Dean. He didn't know what was going on, but these two weren't anywhere close to federal agents, and until he knew what was really going on he wasn't going to be too cooperative.

Looking at both pictures closely, Dean shook his head as he gave the pictures back. "Nope, sorry, don't think we've been formally introduced."

Not to be dissuaded, Barnes looked at them as if trying to convey a very important message. "He might not look it, but he's extremely dangerous. He doesn't deserve any favors from good folks like you."

"Well, we appreciate the concern, but I'm sure we'll be just fine if we ever meet this person." John said as he stood from the table and gently pulled Mary's chair out for her. "Now if you'll excuse us, we were hoping to get back on the road and make the Grand Canyon today."

As they watched the family check out of the motel, the 'agents' watched from the shadows, "They know something." Noble commented, watching as the black Impala drove out of the parking lot.

"Yeah, the question is; what? Not to mention where's Johnny Doe now?" Barnes asked as they made their way to the back of the motel property and got into an old faded Blazer, and pulled out to follow the classic Chevy.

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AN: I hope you all enjoyed it, I'm working on the next chapter right now. 


	5. Chapter 5

John knew that Dean wasn't happy with him, but he couldn't help it at the moment. If Johnny was who they suspected, there was no way he was going to allow someone to hunt him down without him at least knowing why. He had taken a chance to ask the clerk about Johnny and found out that the bookstore wannabees had already asked her and the answer was the same; West. He already knew that Mary was on board the whole way, but he had to wonder about Dean. After all, his son may not have tipped his hand, but that didn't guarantee that he was ready to jump head on into the unknown either.

"Dad, chill. I don't know what's going on, but it stinks!" Dean said as he continued to look out the window. He didn't like seeing a different side of Johnny, and he sure as hell didn't like to think that someone was out there hunting him down like some mangy dog. Unfortunatly they had no idea where he was heading and couldn't help but feel a little resentful that out of everything that they had talked to the kid about, he'd never once volunteered his plans.

Looking at her watch, Mary knew that they had been on the road for over an hour with no sign of the young man they were looking for. Having only a direction to go on was better than nothing, but not by much, and now as she looked in the side mirror she thought they might have another problem.

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Knowing that his luck wouldn't hold out for very long, Johnny was thankful for the reprieve from walking when he came across a small car on the side of the road. Knowing that a lot of times cars would overheat, but would start after having cooled off, he managed to open the door and bypassed the ignition, smiling when he heard the engine come to life. "Let's see how far you'll get me." He said softly, praying for the whole way, but willing to settle for a hundred miles down the road.

Turning off the odd techno disco that had been blaring through the speakers, Johnny settled on driving and thinking about the last conversation he had with Dean. He had known that they wouldn't be able to keep with their end of the bargain and he was right, when proof was presented in full Technicolor, Dean straightaway started flinging Sammy in his face. Although he had to give the guy credit, he lasted a lot longer than what he initially thought.

Shaking himself out of his thoughts and where they could easily lead, he instead focused on the money in his pocket. Normally he would have wired it, but sometimes it was a good excuse to stop in. He couldn't wait to see Ellie again and see how much she'd grown. He hoped that she was having a good day when he got there; he hated to see her when she was…

Turning on the radio again, he found a static ridden country station but figured that anything was better than what was playing in his head at the moment.

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John knew they were being followed, but he had been hoping that they would be in a better position when they confronted them. What he wasn't expecting was them to get bold enough to motion them off the road as if they were long lost friends. He knew that they were almost into Winslow which meant they would get bolder if they didn't get the response they wanted, but the problem was, John already knew that they wouldn't get the answer they were looking for.

Seeing that Mary was buckled tight and already hanging on, John tromped on the accelerator and allowed the Impala free reign; enjoying the feel of her humming as they sped down the road. As he looked in the rear view mirror he saw the Blazer get smaller and smaller until it was almost gone from sight. Breathing a little easier, he smiled at Mary. "Remind you of anything?" he asked, wondering if she felt the same way now as she did many years ago. As she smiled, he knew that she did and they shared the moment when they felt a lot younger.

"Ok you two, what's the big secret?" Dean asked, wondering at the looks being exchanged, but couldn't believe the answer he received.

"Oh, your dad used to drag race the Impala; I forgot how much fun it could be." Mary said as she allowed her mind to drift to a much simpler time.

Dean couldn't believe what he heard, his dad, Mr. Responsible, drag racing? What's next, eighty year old bungie jumping grandmothers? Shaking his head, he decided to let that one die a quick death and resumed his position looking out the window, anything was better than the line of thoughts that was sure to be next.

John knew that they were cutting it close fuel wise, but he was hoping to actually get into Winslow before having to find a gas station, but after what just happened he knew they were running out of options. Seeing what he hoped was an open gas station, he quickly pulled in and jumped out to put in as much as he could before actually seeing the other vehicle again. He had just seen the reflection of the windshield on the horizon, and after telling his family that it would be quicker for them to stay in the car, he ran in to pay the clerk for the gas. By the time he got back outside he noticed that their pursuers had been going a lot faster than what he thought. By the time he got to his door the Blazer was sliding to a stop, and before he could open the door, a bullet struck the ground at his feet.

"Don't even think about it Winchester." The man they knew as Barnes said as he got out of the passenger side. "We're all going to have a nice long _honest_ discussion about what you know."

Noble had gone to Mary's side and helped her out of the Impala while motioning Dean to get out the other side. "Now, we know that you're going to meet dear old Johnny, the question is: where?"

Mary was shaking her head trying to make sense of what she was hearing, but what came out was, "What do you want with him, he's just a boy!"

Both men laughed as they watched the family before them ask for answers, neither one of them saw the person walk up behind them until the sound of a gun being cocked, and a voice echoed under the gas pumps canopy.

"Let them go, they have nothing to do with this." Johnny said calmly as he watched Noble break from Mary but kept his gun trained on her. "You're after me, so why are you going after them?" he asked, really trying to follow their reasoning, but coming up short. He walked more to the side so he could see everyone and he wasn't pleased. Dean and John were on the driver's side of the car next to the pump, while Mary was on the passenger side out in the open. "What is it that you really want?"

Barnes sneered at Johnny, he couldn't believe the nerve of the kid to pull a gun on them, they were the ones with the right to do such things. "You know the score Johnny, you have a destiny. No one before you has been able to resist it, and you know how it's turned out. So we can make it easy, a bullet in the head and all the pain you're going to cause won't happen. Or we can keep playing these games and eventually you'll betray everyone who's ever helped you."

Dean wasn't following the conversation at all except the part where they wanted to kill Johnny right now on the spot. He knew his dad was thinking the same thing, and his mom didn't look like she was taking the news well at all. "So, let's get this straight… how does all this pertain to us?" he asked, hoping to buy a little more time because from the looks of it the clerk was just waiting for reinforcements.

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He knew his luck wouldn't last, and it definitely hadn't disappointed. Just when he thought that the little hatchback would pull through and get him at least to Winslow where it would be easier to either find a ride, or acquire one, the damn thing started spraying water all over the engine giving him just enough time to pull off the side of the road before the engine blew. It hadn't taken too much time to get to the gas station, but he was still thankful that the clerk kept a fully stocked cooler in the back with iced down water and sodas. He had heard the Impala pull up and couldn't believe that his luck was really that bad, he was sure he had gotten rid of them. When he saw John jump out and look down the road, a cold feeling spread out through his body and he knew what had caused that worried look on the man's face. Stepping into the back again, he waited until he saw John clear the door and try to make it back to the car. He watched as Mary was pulled out of the car, he watched as the Winchester family was threatened because of him.

After making his presence known, he knew that he didn't have much time. These guys were serious, someone had upped the ante on him, and he didn't have anything to bargain with. Trying to get the gunmen to answer his questions seemed like a great idea to distract them from what he was doing; too bad it was just making them more agitated. Then he heard Dean start with his questions and Johnny wanted to pull his hair out, especially when he saw the guy close to Mary take another step back as if he didn't want to get sullied and brought up his weapon even with her head.

"You know, we've been more than patient, but this has got to end. Just because we have to set things right doesn't mean that we all can't be civil." Barnes said reasonably, "I mean really, do you expect us to believe that you don't know each other? Come on, that would be just too big of a coincidence, and none of us believe in them, now do we?" he asked, and seemed surprised when no one answered. "It's time, we need to get this done quick, make it look like a robbery gone wrong."

With those words it seemed as if all the players were animated again. Angered, Dean charged Barnes forcing him back as they struggled for the gun. Johnny rushed Noble and managed to clip him in the jaw with his gun causing the other man to fall unconscious. John had rushed to help Dean and as they wrestled the other man towards the ground he pulled his arm up and pulled the trigger.

Time seemed to slow as the bullet made its way towards Mary, and John felt his heart stop as he saw her standing one minute then being tackled by Johnny the next. "MARY!!!" he yelled, praying that she was alright. Seeing that the other man was unconscious and unarmed, both John and Dean wasted no time getting around the Impala to see Mary lying on top of Johnny, both trying to catch their breath.

"Oh my God, Mary!" John said as he reached down and picked her up, "I thought he shot you, oh God Mary, I thought I lost you."

Dean helped Johnny up and was about to say something along his normal wit when he noticed the grimace on Johnny's face. "Hey kid, what's wrong, you ok?" he asked, while at the same time turning Johnny around to check him over. "Uh, Dad… I think we have a problem."

As soon as John and Mary saw the bullet hole in Johnny's back, they wanted to rush him to the hospital and weren't taking 'no' for an answer. It wasn't until he pulled his gun back out that they stopped in mid sentence and started to listen.

"I can't go to the hospital; it's the first place they'll look. So why don't you all go on your merry way and leave me to get where I need to be." He said while putting his gun back in his bag, he knew the cops were going to show and he needed to get out of there.

Mary looked at the young man in front of her, she could tell he was in pain and he was still acting as if this was a normal occurrence. Finally she put her hand on his cheek, "Where do you need to be Johnny?"

"Anywhere but here."

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Dean couldn't imagine how they got to this point. Narrowly escaping two lunatics who apparently thought that Johnny was some sort of evil personified, was bad enough, but to leave the scene before the cops got there was just this side of insanity; he had no doubt that the clerk already gave out the description of he car, and now all they had to do was wait to be picked up.

"The cops aren't going to arrest you." Johnny said softly from a chair by the window, making Dean really start to wonder if this kid was a mind reader or something. "The clerk won't want any trouble, and the goons are already gone."

Mary and John looked at each other and continued to worry about this young man who saved Mary from a bullet. He continued to refuse a hospital, but allowed them to take him to a motel room until they could find a way to get the bullet out. When asked, he said simply, "It won't be that easy" leaving them to wonder how he knew that. They had caught him napping in the chair, but he wouldn't take a bed, instead he'd ask the time with ever increased urgency until finally he snapped.

"Look, I appreciate the concern, but do you think you could go elsewhere for awhile, you're driving me crazier than I already am."

It was Dean who answered, "Nope, don't think so, you could disappear again. This time you're stuck with us." When Johnny looked at him, he could tell that Dean meant business and finally relented after a two minute stare off.

"Fine, but do you think you could hand me the phone?" he asked, watching them warily as they pulled it across the room for him. Taking the calling card out, he made his call and wasn't disappointed at the shout on the other end.

"_God damn it, it better not be you – you hear me? I can't get that lucky, tell me you aren't in Winslow."_

"I'm not in Winslow."

The cursing on the other end made Johnny smile a little and helped him keep his mind off the pain; it was a good thing he had a decent med kit in his bag otherwise he'd be totally screwed. _"Not funny kid."_

"You wanted me to tell you I wasn't in Winslow; I can't help it if you can't make up your mind." Johnny smirked, and then stopped suddenly realizing that the Winchester's could hear everything because of the loud receiver he was holding.

"_How bad?"_

"Between the ribs and the shoulder blade."

"_Damn it Johnny, you're going to be the death of me. Alright, where are you exactly, we'll be there in four hours."_

Johnny looked horrified at the phone, "No, no way Cade. Stay there, you can't bring Ellie out here."

They heard a muffled _"Don't see any other way. You've got to be stoned to the gills to be sitting upright much less talking, so how else are you going to get out here?"_

"Well take him!" all three Winchester's chorused, completely ignoring the protests that were coming from Johnny.

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The pain meds had worn off two hours ago and even Johnny wasn't stupid enough to try his luck with doubling up with what he already took. Ok, he was, but not when he was about to see Ellie, she'd be upset, and she was the one person he would never intentionally screw up with. He knew that John was trying to hurry, that much was more than evident; as soon as he got directions they had made sure he was as comfortable as possible and then they were leaving Winslow in the dust. He still couldn't figure them out, but then again he could barely remember his name at this point. Feeling that thinking was highly over rated, he allowed the darkness to sweep over him.

Dean felt thankful that the kid had finally passed out, he really didn't know how he had lasted this long; Morphine or not. He felt the same urgency as his parents and he continued to sit vigil over Johnny, hoping that whoever it was on the phone would be able to help. Thinking over the conversation they heard, he couldn't help but wonder who Ellie was and why Johnny was so upset with the idea of her going with this Cade guy to pick him up. Somehow he knew that he was about to find out, and he wasn't sure he really wanted the answer.

Mary was taking quick looks in the backseat to check up on her boys, and knew that Johnny had to be in a bad way for him to look like that. She thought about him as her son, even if he turned out not to be Sammy, she figured that if a young man is willing to take a bullet for you, it only makes sense for him to be part of the family. She knew that the bandage on his back probably needed changed, but she couldn't bring herself to ask John to pull over to do it, if they were where she thought they were, then they should be pulling into Cade's driveway in about half an hour thanks to her husbands need for speed. Daring to glance in the back again she noticed the concerned look on Dean's face, and she had agree, no one should ever be in that much pain. She had noticed the amount of Morphine Johnny took, and couldn't help but wonder if it was because he was hurting that much, or if that was his normal amount, either way it had her worried.

Normally John would had enjoyed being able to let the Impala loose on the open road, and even enjoyed the thrill of her humming as all cylinders reached full potential, but today wasn't a normal day. Today, he was using the Impala to take an injured boy to God only knew who in the middle of nowhere. He had originally tried to swing by a hospital after getting Johnny in the car, but after he saw where they were going he had tried to get out and if it hadn't been for Dean's quick thinking, they would have been scraping the kid off the asphalt. Thinking about the conversation they heard, it was obvious whoever this Cade person was, Johnny trusted him, and he didn't even want to think about who Ellie could be. Glancing in the rear view mirror he saw the pained expression on the boy's face and couldn't imagine how that was possible, the kid took enough pills to drop an ox, which made him worry that Johnny was worse off than they thought.

"Over there John." Mary pointed to their turn off and was relieved to see what looked to be a house on the horizon. 'Hang on Johnny, we're almost there.'

The house would have been considered fashionable at one time, a two storied home with a large covered porch in the front supported by thick columns and intricate designs in the woodwork. Its glory days had been long gone however, and with most things after many years of neglect, it looked like a shadow of its former shelf to the point that the Winchester's wondered how it was still standing. Pulling to the side of the house they saw a small wooden porch with steps along the side of the house leading up to an open doorway. What grabbed their attention most though was a small girl about four or five with wide eyes that seemed to stare out into nothing, sitting on the porch rocking to a rhythm of her own coloring onto a page with no real pattern that they could determine.

As they got out of the car, a man younger than Dean walked out wearing only a pair of jeans hung low on his hips giving them a glimpse of his boxers, and a dish towel over his shoulder. "Well, bring the damn fool in. I can just imagine how bad off he really is if Ellie hasn't seen him yet."

Dean had no idea what to think, but he was more than willing to get Johnny out of the heat, they all had been thankful for the slight breeze during the drive, but even that hadn't seemed to help the kid. Cursing under his breath, Dean saw how the kid in front of him was still sweating profusely, and he wasn't too sure whether it was a good sign or not. Reaching over he touched Johnny on the side of the face and watched as dark green eyes opened questioningly at him. "We're here. You need some help?" he asked as he was already guiding Johnny out of the car.

Looking around he knew where he was, but there was one person he needed to see. Turning towards the house Johnny smiled, "Ellie" he breathed relieved to see her outside today; definitely a better day.

As they walked up to the house, Mary wasn't sure what they should do, but as they helped guide Johnny up the stairs and inside the doorway she figured that anything was better than nothing. Walking into the house she saw an eclectic array of items, some antique furniture, dusty nic nacs on shelves, books in piles in the corners, a couch that looked as if it could have been brought into the house after already having a full life.

"It's not much, but it's home, make yourselves comfortable. Johnny, sit down before you fall down, and since your not doing anything, make yourself useful and call Ellie in, she's been out there since your last call." Cade called out from the kitchen. "I didn't tell her, but she knew and I haven't been able to get her inside since."

Nodding, Johnny sat on the couch and propped his feet up on the old coffee table before he called out softly, "Ellie… hey Ellie, I'm getting lonely in here."

Nothing happened at first, in fact Dean wondered what they had really expected, after all the kid, while cute, didn't seem to be all there. Johnny didn't seem put out though, in fact it looked like he had expected it and leaned back further into the couch. As they watched though, Ellie put down her crayon and slowly made her way inside until she was crawling into Johnny's lap. "Johnny." She said quietly laying her head on his shoulder.

"Hey Ellie, you miss me?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He couldn't stop the smile that spread on his face when she responded with her patent answer… "Johnny."

Cade walked back into the room with a tray of iced tea for everyone. "I swear you spoil her rotten, kid. You know she only listens to you 'cause your hardly ever here." He said, brushing the bangs out of the little girl's eyes only for her to scream and jerk away. "Ok, ok I get it… Uncle Johnny's here and I don't exist… got it!" he said good naturedly then turned his attention to the matter at hand. "So, I know you weren't running away, which makes me think you got yourself confused with Superman again."

"He saved my life." Mary said as she watched Johnny and Ellie sit on the couch as if there were no one else in the room.

"Uh huh… so, let me guess… you're the people who insist he's some kid by the name of Sammy that you haven't seen in what… sixteen years?" Cade asked looking at each person in turn trying to determine what their scam was. "Look, we can discuss this after I get that bullet out of him. Stay here. Johnny, you know what we have to do, so…"

"Ellie, how about painting me a picture?" Johnny asked then watched as Ellie scrambled down and went to get her supplied from the shelf.

Looking at the Winchester's Cade said simply, "This won't be easy, but I'm hoping it won't take long. She'll be fine as long as you don't touch her."

As they sat there, none of them could wrap their head around what was going on. They could hear the faint conversation going on in the other room and they could tell it wasn't pleasant.

'_Damn, you really did it this time… ok, found it, you got a good grip on that?... you sure you don't want… ok, ok, just asking man… hang on, just another… couple… got it. Johnny? Damn…'_

The sun was starting it's decent onto the horizon when Cade helped Johnny back out to the couch and propped him up where he was more lying than sitting before motioning to the others into another large room, this one less furnished, but with more antiques than the other room.

"Look, I don't know who you people are, but you really need to get the message and leave him alone. Seriously." Cade began, and the look in his eyes made him look older and wiser than what the age on his license. Seeing the argument brewing, he held up his hand. "Not up for discussion. I don't know what you people are really up to, but it stops here and now. You all can stay the night, use the tank out back to fill up your car, and in the morning you're out of here."


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Hey there... I hope everyone likes this chapter, I'm working on the next one as well as The Long Way Home, so hopefully you won't have to wait for another update.

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Although Cade kept declining the offer of help in the kitchen, Mary jumped in anyway, quietly preparing the bacon for the BLT's while Cade began making Ellie's favorite; grilled cheese with a side order of macaroni and cheese. By the time they sat down for dinner, the sun was setting and everyone was feeling the weight of the day.

"Come on sweet girl, time to eat." Cade said as he tried to guide her to the table, staying patient even when it took several attempts to actually get her to the table. It wasn't until everyone was engrossed in eating their sandwiches that Cade spoke up again. "Ellie, eat."

Ellie was rocking in her chair, looking around the room as if everything was more fascinating than the here and now. Ignoring her food, she continued to rock and started to hum when a low voice reached her ears from the other room.

"Ellie, you need to eat to make the angels happy." Johnny's sleep slurred voice floated into the room, causing the little girl to stop what she was doing then start eating her sandwich while looking around the room again.

Happy, Cade nodded in approval before he barked out, "You're supposed to be sleeping you stubborn jackass! Don't make me go in there." He waited a moment and started to get a worried look on his face until they heard a faint, "Jerk" come back in response. Shaking his head, Cade muttered, "Kid's going to be the death of me."

Mary had been watching Ellie and couldn't help but wonder about her. "How old is she?" she asked, then almost wished that she hadn't when she saw how Cade stiffened.

He had almost allowed himself to believe that they were a figment of his overactive imagination, until she spoke; and damn if that didn't make things harder. "Four, her birthday's next month though." Cade answered, hoping that the question and answer period was over; he never did have that great of luck.

"Is there something wrong with her?" John asked, knowing that there was, but how do you ask without offending someone you just met and were already rubbing the wrong way.

Sighing, Cade lowered his voice a little, "There is nothing _wrong_ with her; she's not _broken_. The doctor's say it's a degree of autism, but when she has her really good days they talk about remission, and on her bad days they say regression. Honestly I doubt if they know, just something else they can label a kid with so they don't have to get to know them. Johnny says that she's just sensitive to everything around her and until she doesn't find everything else so fascinating then she'll stay in her own little world." Suddenly he stopped and looked slightly shocked that he admitted that before he schooled his features again and went back to his sandwich.

Dean watched the little girl and found her adorable. Her long curly blonde hair, fair skin, and light blue eyes reminded him of the porcelain doll that he had bought his mom for Christmas one year. Thinking about it made him smile; Mom kept it on display with her little legs dangling off a bookshelf in the living room. Taking a quick peek he saw his mom's expression and he was sure she was thinking the same thing.

John had no idea what to do at the moment. He had always preferred action, but he also knew that this was probably one of those moments where it would be best to wait it out. He knew one thing though, he wasn't going to leave without Johnny, at least not until there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he wasn't Sammy. He was about to try and smooth things over with the man in front of him, but Dean's question made him cringe. 'So much for smoothing things over.' He thought in exasperation.

"So, where's Ellie's mom?" Dean asked, more than a little curious as to why there were no photos of any women, just of Ellie and Johnny in different places and different poses. The question actually had double meaning, and there was no way he was going to ask what he really wanted to. Somehow he thought the question, 'So I'm an Uncle?' wouldn't go over very well.

Cade choked and looked quickly at the little girl who paused only a moment before continuing with her macaroni. "Ok, I see where this is going. I wasn't kidding before, after tonight, you're out of here and will leave Johnny alone." He hissed, ignoring Ellie's quiet voice 'Johnny'. "Her mother and I had a falling out as soon as she found out she was pregnant. She took off and it wasn't until I hear from a casual acquaintance that I find out that Ellie's about to be born and was going to be put up for adoption. Of course that was before they found out that she had some health problems, then all of a sudden it was, 'We're sure we'll find her a good home, it will just take some time.' There was no way one of my kids was going to be put in the system and left to rot. Now, does that answer your real question?" he growled towards Dean, daring him to doubt what he had said.

Feeling as if he had shrunk in size, Dean held up his hand in a placating manner, "Hey, dude, I'm sorry, but you got to see it from our point of view…"

"All I see is three people trying to convince someone that has done more for me and my daughter than anyone else I know, that he's suddenly their long lost son and be damned with anything else. You want to convince him? Try convincing me first, you'll find I'm not as easy a sell."

Dean wanted to laugh, an easy sell? They had to practically bribe the kid to sit down for one night and listen, there was no way Johnny was an easy sell. In fact he couldn't think of one thing that they had been able to convince him of since the day they met. He and Cade were facing off and Dean wasn't going to back down this time no matter what his parent's feelings were. Suddenly though Cade looked concerned at Ellie, and even more so when she paused in mid bite and said "Joh- nny". Before anyone could question what was going on they heard Johnny scream and what sounded like a bomb going off in the other room.

Cade was the first one to see the complete havoc wrecked on the living room. "Damn it kid, that was my mom's china." He said as he rushed to check Johnny while at the same time looked over his shoulder to make sure Ellie was still in the kitchen.

"You hated your mom." Came the weak response from the couch.

Smirking, Cade agreed, "Yeah, well it's a good thing it wasn't dad's gun collection then, huh?"

Smiling weakly, Johnny nodded, "Uh huh, I'd have another hole in my head by now."

The room looked as if everything that hadn't been nailed down had been picked up then suddenly dropped onto the floor. While sweeping up the glass and china, Cade looked over and asked, "Care to share?"

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Mary stood outside and looked up at the stars wondering if there was anything that she could do to make things right. She hadn't realized how much she had messed up until Johnny had pointed it out, and she felt awful that it had taken a stranger to show her something that had been right in front of her for this long. Thinking about Johnny made her heart ache, while she was outside trying to pull herself back together, he was inside trying to explain what had happened earlier. It had been obvious that he hadn't gotten up from the couch, and the scream that he had let out sounded as if his heart had been ripped out of his chest leaving her to believe that it had to have been a horrendous nightmare. Now though, they were waiting until they got the 'all clear' from Cade that they could go back inside, since whatever they were talking about was obviously confidential.

"You ok Mom?" Dean asked behind her. He had been watching her since she had started her walk across the yard to look up at the night sky. He had to admit the stars were cool, but he didn't like the look on her face.

Turing to Dean, Mary smiled and nodded. "Yep, you know me, off in la la land sometimes." When she saw that he wasn't buying it, she sighed. "Dean, did we really forget you somewhere along the way? Were we really so caught up in our grief that we forgot to enjoy _you_?" she asked, heartbroken that she had to even ask such a question.

Looking at his mom, Dean turned his head back up to the stars before he answered. "I know that it seems like it now Mom, but living it? No, we all wanted Sammy back; we all had a piece of ourselves missing. Do I wish things had been different? Sure. Do I regret growing up with you and Dad? No. I love you both, and no matter what may have happened or didn't happen, that won't change."

Stunned, Mary looked at her son, "Ok mister, what have you done with the real Dean? That was the biggest 'chick flick' moment since you told Lisa Henderson that the moon sat in her eyes."

"Yeah, well, don't get used to it. One major girly moment per customer." He smirked back, liking how she was smiling again, and wanting to make sure she stayed that way.

Turning back around, they started to walk towards John who had been splitting his attention between Mary, Dean, and the occupants in the house. When Mary and Dean leaned up against the Impala next to him he volunteered, "It started out as a calm discussion and it turned into an argument about us."

As they listened they heard Cade yelling at Johnny for being an idiotic fool, and Johnny's raised voice about not being a stubborn jackass. It would have been funny except they all could hear how much of a toll it was taking on both men, especially Johnny. It was the sound of something breaking that had John and Dean running to the house before the sound of the men inside screaming for Ellie brought everything to a halt. Before the Winchester's could think about what they heard, the door opened and Johnny was flying down the steps screaming, "ELLIE! ELLIE, COME ON, WE DIDN'T MEAN IT!"

"Johnny, what's wrong?" Mary asked concerned about the young man in front of her who looked closer to collapse than ready to find a little girl.

"She doesn't like arguing, of any type. She, ah, she gets upset and wanders. Oh God, we have to find her. ELLIE!"

Dean ran back to the Impala and grabbed the flashlight that was in the glove box. When he got back to the group he saw Cade had joined them with a couple of hand held search lights and without any words being exchanged, they separated and started at the back of the house where they were sure she left, and fanned out calling to her hoping all the while that they weren't scaring her even more.

Cade had could kick himself; he knew that having strangers in the house was bad enough, but to pick a fight with Johnny had taken her stress to a whole other level. Now he was searching with the one person he trusted most, and others that at the moment he trusted least, he'd never forgive himself for this. Looking over to Johnny his concern grew, the kid looked like he was going to collapse while still walking, but he knew that Johnny would walk into Hell's deepest depths for his little girl; that was just one of the things that made him want to take care of the kid. Now though, he was being told that it was safer to stay away from him, and he couldn't accept that; there was no way he was going to listen to that, even if it did come from Johnny himself.

John was worried, it was pitch black, and there were no signs that a little girl had been outside. He was just about to state his opinion when he saw Johnny stop in mid stride and whip back around to the house before he started running as fast as he could. Not having much of a choice, they all followed him and watched in horror as they saw the little girl on the ledge of the roof outside of her bedroom window.

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Johnny felt as if his heart had stopped, between that and the other pain he was feeling he was sure he was in the middle of some sort of nightmare that he couldn't wake from. Up above him was Ellie, the only bright spot in his very dark existence, and she could easily fall any moment. He heard Cade telling him that he was going to the window, but he could only stand there and stare up at Ellie and hope that she didn't slip. He felt more than saw Dean stand next to him and tell him something, it could have been anything from 'we'll get her' to 'so, how about those Giants' but he couldn't decipher anything at all beyond those pale blue eyes watching him.

Dean saw the stricken look on Johnny's face and he could sympathize, after what they all had witnessed he and Ellie were close, and if anything happened to her would be like how they felt losing Sammy. "Don't worry, she'll be ok, we'll get her down." he said, knowing that the words weren't getting through, but felt that he had to try. Looking up he saw Ellie looking down watching Johnny as if he held all to answers, and he couldn't help but wonder if maybe she was right. Before he had a chance to ponder that thought further, Cade was at the window talking softly, trying to coax his little girl back into the house, but only agitating her further.

Watching everything unfold, Mary was terrified of what losing the little girl would do to Johnny. She might not be his daughter, but it was evident that they held each other in very high regard, and neither would fare very well without the other. As she watched Cade attempting to bring Ellie into the house, the little girl's screams got louder and more agitated, while Johnny looked as if he was barely standing. Not sure what she could do, she stood beside Dean and joining him in offering what support she could. As she stood there, she was totally unprepared for what happened next.

Seeing Ellie's footing falter, and hearing her screams get louder and more anxious, Johnny did the only thing that came to mind, he reached out his arms, trying to ignore the ripping white hot pain in his back and yelled, "ELLIE, JUMP!" It took only a moment for her to obey, never once taking her eyes off of his face, and when he felt her weight he was both thankful that she was alright, and angry that he didn't have the strength to stay upright. As his body folded upon itself, he felt strong arms catch him and heard a deep voice in his ear, "I got you son" before darkness took over.

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Cade couldn't believe what just happened, then he thought about it; yeah, he could. Now as he watched the Winchester's gather around Johnny and his little girl, he couldn't help but wonder what was really going on. These people didn't seem to be the run of the mill cons who wanted Johnny around as a curiosity; in fact he was starting to wonder about their story, which opened a whole other can of worms. Right now though he needed to get a certain someone re-stitched before he woke up otherwise a certain tiny person would be very upset with him, and he couldn't have that twice in one day.

After getting everyone settled in the living room, Cade rolled Johnny onto his stomach to get a better look at the damage. More concerned about his 'patient' he didn't think about the burn mark until he heard the collective gasps behind him. Ignoring them for a moment, he pulled back the gauze and saw that every stitch he had put in had been ripped out. Sitting back he knew that if he was going to redo them then it needed to be done soon, but if Johnny had his way he'd be gone soon so chances were he'd just rip them out again. Sighing, he walked into the back room and grabbed more gauze and peroxide before walking back into the living room and catching Mary gently probing the scar. "Meth lab in Oklahoma blew up, he was caught in the fire, thankfully it was only a table leg that caught him and not the whole table." He told her softly, not wanting to remember the phone call of a nurse in Tulsa calling for Cade Hart in regard to Johnny Doe, 'he's been asking for you, but we were told not to call until the investigation was complete. Does he have any other family besides his foster parents?' Just the thought of that phone call made him nauseous, he had been three states away when he had heard the news report of Oklahoma being the leading state of meth labs and an arrest had been made after one had blown up killing two people and injuring a boy, and 'isn't it funny that my friend Johnny's latest foster parents moved to Oklahoma?' He remembered it all too clearly, and wished he didn't.

"He was in a Meth lab?" Dean asked, not able to catch the condemnation in his voice before it came out.

Turning to Dean, Cade wanted kick the crap out of the man, but thought that maybe there had been too much excitement for the day and vowed to make it up by kicking the crap out of him twice tomorrow. "It's not like he was making the stuff, hell he didn't even want to be there, but he didn't have much of a choice. Now hold these." He growled as he thrust the gauze at Dean and set out to clean out the wound again. Seeing Mary's worry, he relented a little. "He was in between placements, his previous foster family had died due to carbon monoxide poisoning while he was at a friend's house, so when a temporary home came up no one thought too much about it, and weren't watching very carefully when they up and moved. He had managed to call and tell me what was going on right before they left, and sent me a postcard to let me know where he was. It should have been the first sign that something wasn't right, but it took him being in the hospital for the system to catch up to the people and find out that she was the only one approved as a foster parent and he couldn't be one because of his drug record." He said quietly while packing the wound, "so there I am in North Carolina when I catch the national news about another lab blowing up and then my phone rings asking if I know Johnny, and all I can do is put Ellie in the truck and haul ass to make sure he was alright. He was twelve."

Confused, John couldn't help but ask, "I thought you were close? The way you act, we thought…"

Putting the last piece of tape on the bandage, Cade laughed, "We are close, he couldn't help being tossed from place to place, but we had a system to stay in touch and when he was able to break free, we met up. I'm just glad he doesn't have to worry about that anymore, it seems like more and more crazies are taking an interest in him now."


	7. Chapter 7

John sat heavily in the chair next to the couch and watched the young man before him sleep. He had listened to what Cade said, and as it continued to rattle around in his brain, it started to fit in the way that Johnny had acted towards them, _'seems like more and more crazies are taking an interest in him now.' _ He thought about that and came up with the same thing over and over, 'He thinks we're one of the crazies.'

Knowing that he wasn't going to get any sleep, Dean was content to watch over his family, real and what appeared to be extended. He couldn't stop thinking about what they had been told, and it seemed unreal to him. His whole life he truly believed that whoever took Sammy had done it so he could be a part of some family somewhere, not because of some unknown reason that seemed to be filled with more questions than answers. One thing he did know, he had no doubt that they owed Cade more than they could ever repay. Looking up he saw Cade guide Ellie into the living room, and he couldn't help but smile at the little princess.

Cade knew that it was past time to put Ellie to bed, and normally she'd be uncooperative being out of her routine, but tonight she sat quietly while he dressed her in her pink Little Mermaid pajamas and brushed and braided her hair. It was very rare that she would let anyone do anything other than brush it, unless it was Johnny; then she would sit for an hour if that's how long it took. Relishing the moment, he had asked her if she was ready for bed, but she started walking to the door and he wasn't going to let this moment slip away. When they walked into the room he saw Dean smile at her and Mary look as if she saw the most beautiful thing in the world. "She wanted to tell everyone good night before going to bed."

As they all watched, Ellie stood in the middle of the room swaying to that silent music that she listened to, then suddenly stopped and went to the couch pausing only for a moment before she climbed up and laid her head on Johnny's bare chest listening to his heart beating then quietly closed her eyes. Not opening his eyes, Johnny reached over and grabbed the afghan off the back of the couch and covered her with it while wrapping his arms around her, keeping her cocooned.

Smiling at such a sweet sight, Mary went over and turned off the light switch, keeping a couple of lamps on so they could still see what was going on, before settling into an old overstuffed wing-backed chair, letting her mind drift to what could have been's.

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The sounds of movement brought him out of his drug induced sleep, and he wasn't sure if he was ready yet. Feeling a familiar weight on his chest, Johnny didn't even bother to open his eyes; he knew she was already awake. "Hey Ellie, how'd you sleep?" Not getting a verbal answer, he was content that she hadn't stopped her humming on his account. Taking in the sounds of the room, he heard the window unit on which meant the stove, and lights were off and it had to be mid day at least. Thinking about the solar panels on the roof, he added that to the Things That Need Fixed Before I Leave list. He had been happy to hear that Cade had managed to get the money for the panels, but after a wind storm blew through, they hadn't worked right since which meant something came loose and he needed to figure out what.

"You know she's been waiting for you to wake up all day, wouldn't even let me change her out of her pj's." Cade said, holding out her clothes and waited for Johnny to take them.

"Sorry about that, what did you give me anyway?" he asked as he nudged Ellie into a better position.

Smiling, Cade shook his head, "No can do, my own secret cocktail. Now, help her get dressed then you have a date with an angel of mercy."

Having no idea what he was talking about, Johnny just watched Cade as he grabbed his keys and headed out the door, barely hearing the 'be back with dinner' before the door closed. "Looks like it's just you and me kiddo." He said as he helped Ellie get dressed. "How about you get your brush and I'll do your hair today, ok?"

Mary had just walked in when she saw Ellie walk towards the stairs and Johnny trying to get off the couch. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked, wondering what had possessed him to try that on his own.

Startled, Johnny fell back against the couch cushions in shock. "You're here!"

"Uh huh, last time I checked. Cade went into Flagstaff for some food and supplies, John and Dean managed to fix that old blue truck and he was just looking for an excuse to try it out, and last I checked the guys were up on the roof finding out what happened to the solar panels."

Mulling over what she said, he smiled, "Yeah, he loves that truck. The Mazda works, but if it's a choice, it's his Ford every time." He watched as she silently agreed and then set down next to him with a hand full of gauze and a bottle of pills. Curious, he continued to watch until she had everything arranged. "Uh, not that I'm complaining, but what are doing here?"

Smiling, Mary looked at the young man before her and could tell there was more to his question than what it seemed. "Well, first I'm going to change your dressings. Cade decided to pack your wound instead of re-stitch it, and I think the sooner we get started, the better our chances of Ellie not seeing it will be." She saw his expression change slightly and knew that she had hit a soft spot; it didn't take a genius to know that if you wanted him to do something that he normally wouldn't worry about, bring Ellie into the picture.

"Ouch, not fair Lady." Johnny groused, wondering if maybe he was still asleep and just having a really vivid dream; drugs will do that, he knew that from first hand experience.

As she took care of the wound, she started talking again, trying to keep his mind off what she was doing. "As for the other part of your question, let's just say we all came to an understanding…of sorts." At his puzzled expression she smiled, "We've come to an agreement that we don't push and he doesn't kick us to the curb." She wanted to say more, but the sound of Ellie's bare feet on the hardwood floors turned her attention away from the conversation. She had watched as the little girl had laid silently all morning waiting for Johnny to wake, and was amazed at how content she was, as if she knew that she was right where she needed to be.

Looking over, Johnny saw Ellie walk in with her brush and a doll. Surprised, he smiled and whispered to Mary, "Looks like a good day."

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John and Dean watched as Cade jumped into his truck and sped off down the road like a kid with his first car. Smiling, they continued to trace some of the problems that they had already found. After talking to the other man, they found out that he had got the panels from a construction site and the person who had installed them had been more on the shady side than not. Apparently he hadn't told Johnny that, knowing how upset the younger man would be. Johnny was under the impression that Cade had gotten a reputable electrician, and the other man didn't want to admit to his mistake of not checking references.

"So, what do you think Dad, we making progress?" Dean asked, trying not to get his hopes up too much, he continued to look the ancient panels over hoping for some inspiration on how to fix the mess in front of him.

Knowing that Dean wasn't really talking about the panels, John answered honestly. "I don't know son, I'd like to think so. What do you say to getting off here and seeing if your mom was a sweetheart and made us something cold to drink."

As they walked into the house they both stopped suddenly at what they saw. Sitting on the couch with Ellie in his lap was Johnny in full one sided conversation mode with the little girl as he brushed her hair.

"…what do you think, maybe you'd visit Cinderella's castle first, or maybe find Snow White? I know… you want to go see Belle before you go off and play with all the other princesses, right? You know, you need to see Mickey too… he'll be jealous if you don't stop in…"

Mary saw them and ushered them through the door. "He's been doing that none stop since she brought in her hairbrush." They watched as Ellie brushed her doll's hair in perfect rhythm to Johnny's strokes, and were amazed at how calm she seemed. Before they knew it, it was over and Johnny was looking at them.

"So how bad did Cade get screwed?" he asked with a knowing grin. Seeing their surprise, he sent Ellie to color before continuing. "He's normally got more brains than that, but sometimes one slips through and he doesn't see it coming. Actually, that's not really fair, more than likely the money was running low and he needed to just get it done."

Sitting down, John watched Ellie sit in front of a window and start to draw, "Well, from what we saw the things shouldn't work at all. The panels themselves are old and it looks like the insides have dirt accumulated, but the real trick is to track down the short that's causing the intermittent problems." Looking back to the young man on the couch, he could see something building in his eyes, but couldn't quite place it. Taking the iced tea that Mary handed him, he wondered about the circumstances of why someone would live so far out without the basic comforts.

As if reading his thoughts Johnny said quietly, "He only accepted this house because it made Ellie happy; no one around to make her nervous. Normally they do ok with her SSI check keeping food on the table, and I send what I can, but sometimes things run a little short."

"So they live in a house that's about to fall down around their ears?" Dean asked, not believing what he was hearing. "I mean she's a little girl, for Christ's sake, and one who doesn't even know you exist half the time, and you're saying that they stay here for her? More like Cade doesn't want to get off his ass…"

Johnny had sprung off the couch and had Dean slammed against the wall before anyone could react. "Don't." he growled, "You don't know him, you don't know what he did to keep her out of a system that shuffles kids like her around and makes them worse, you can stand there and judge me all you want, but don't you dare put him down for doing what's best for Ellie."

Dean stood there stunned while he listened to Johnny, and he had to admit; he had been an ass. He didn't know why he acted that way, but he did know that he needed to make amends – quick. "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what life was for him and Ellie, or for you, and I have no right to judge what I don't understand."

Looking into Dean's eyes, he could tell the sincerity of the words, and felt his anger diminish. It wasn't until he felt a hand on his leg that he knew that he needed to let it go completely, before he totally lost it. "It's ok Ellie, we're cool now." He said looking down into the pale blue eyes filled with anxiety. It took a few moments, but finally she let go of his leg and resumed her coloring as if nothing had happened.

Mary was horrified at what came out of Dean's mouth, and to see the reaction from Johnny had terrified her. She couldn't stand by and watch her boys fight, especially over a misunderstanding. When Ellie had intervened, she felt relieved that things weren't going to go to blows, but had to wonder what would have happened if the little girl hadn't stopped them. Looking over at John she could see his concern as well, maybe they could find a way to make things better for the small family before they left; maybe they could convince Johnny they wanted to help.

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Cade couldn't believe how good it felt behind the wheel of his truck again. He'd been lucky that he had a car to fall back on when the truck took a dump on him one day. Now he was able to get back out on the road and take care of a few things while Johnny was recovering at the house. He knew that the house was a wreck, but he hadn't wanted to tell Johnny about the huge shortfall in cash, knowing what the damn fool kid would have done. So instead, he was going to take a little time and try to rectify the situation himself while he was out.

Thinking about all the times that there would be sudden increase in the bank account, made him cringe at the thought of what Johnny did to get it to them. He had known the kid for too long and seen him in every type of situation, from being scared out of his mind, to a half hair away from committing cold blooded murder, but the only time he'd ever seen him happy is with Ellie; that's the way it'd been since the day she was born; which meant he was reckless when it came to a certain little girl.

The day Ellie was born was filled with more ups and downs than a roller coaster. There was the excitement that the baby was coming, and wasn't that awesome that he was a daddy; a fifteen year old daddy, but who cared? Then there was the news that yes, her mother was giving his kid up for adoption, and 'what the hell' seemed to be the question that came to mind. Finally Ellie was born and she was blue, causing everyone to go into a panic, sending him into a crying jag right there in the hospital hallway floor for all to see and only Johnny not judging. The discussion with the caseworker saying that because of the unexplained health issues that Ellie would have to be put on a list for adoption since her 'parents' had backed out, opting for a healthy child instead; which made Johnny yell about her father was standing right there! Hours of phone calls to attorneys only to be turned down once they found out his age and no living relatives to help him take care of an ill newborn. Standing next to Ellie's crib while the doctor's explained that his baby girl was going to pull through but they had no explanation to why her oxygen levels had bottomed out, or why she had spent the first three hours of her life in respiratory distress and on life support. Finally able to rock her until she would almost fall asleep only for her to start fussing again, and only drifting off while she was in Johnny's arms. Finally the case worker's assurances that she would find a good home for her, as if she was some stray puppy, and the look on Johnny's face that told the lady to get gone and never come back. That had been the first day of his little girl's life, and he was so thankful that he had someone, even if it was eleven year old Johnny, to help pull him through.

Now though he was faced with a dilemma. If he was right, then Johnny had a good chance of having a family who has missed him all these years, and even though it was good news, it didn't bode well for anyone. Johnny's nightmare and consequential 'freaky fit' had really made the kid wary about sticking around anywhere, much less somewhere that had people that he cared about. According to him, the people who have been watching him are starting to get nervous and will do whatever it takes to make sure he doesn't 'fulfill his destiny'. He knew all about the crap that people have been tossing Johnny's way off and on for years, his dad was a hunter and he even spent a couple of years with him before he didn't come back to the motel room one night, or the next, or then next, so he had seen some freaky things in his life. He had heard the whispered tales of demons who every now and again get a wild hair up their ass and try to build up an army, marking certain children who later on go completely insane and start killing people. He knew some of the hunters who believed that 'innocent until proven guilty' didn't pertain to demon chosen kids, while others believed that those were the very ones that needed extra protection. Now though, he was having to sit back and watch as his best friend was about to head out the door again to keep him and Ellie safe. 'I really need a drink.' He thought, thankful that the bar he was heading to had a decent selection of booze.

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It was late afternoon when Ellie stood in front of the door and Johnny grudgingly walked outside with her while she played in the dirt, normally he wouldn't have minded, but whatever Cade had doped him up with had him feeling more drowsy than he thought possible without actually falling asleep. As he watched her, he couldn't help but wonder about how she saw things, and if they would ever be on the same page. Leaning back against the house he was always thankful that Ellie liked to play in the shadows of the car, she could play longer that way which always seemed to make her happy.

He knew that the Winchester's were close, they had been practically hovering all day and it was starting to wear on him. After the nightmare and the following chaos that ensued, he was trying hard not to think about what he saw, but it was getting increasingly more difficult. How was he supposed to deal with the sight of his best friend being strung up and gutted with Ellie screaming in the background until…

A hand startled him out of his thoughts and he realized that it was later than what he thought. Looking over he saw that Ellie was in the same spot doing the same thing with the same expression on her face. As he got up and guided her back to the house he whispered, "So much for our good day, huh princess?"

Dean had been sent out to bring both Johnny and Ellie inside, and he thought it was going to be a simple task, until he saw Johnny looking as if he was somewhere between being asleep with his eyes open and caught up in some sort of unpleasant memory. When he finally got the young man's attention, he was half expecting some sort of acknowledgement, but was more concerned by Johnny's comment to Ellie about their good day. Something had changed and he had no idea what it could be, so instead of pushing, he decided to talk to his mom and see what she thought; she had noticed quite a few things today.

John listened as Johnny bathed Ellie in the kitchen sink explaining that for whatever reason she never got past it and into the 'big tub'; which was easily translated to 'bathtubs scare her.' He and Mary had been able to talk about the situation for a few minutes and it was evident that if they wanted more time with Johnny and possibly find out if he was really Sammy, then they would have to find a way to make it beneficial to Ellie.


	8. Chapter 8

Cade hadn't been in this good of a mood in quite awhile. After bringing their funds up to a more acceptable level, he had felt a lot better about buying the supplies that they needed as well as a few extras that he'd been putting off. Ok, so Ellie didn't really _need_ that tricycle he bought, but it was pink with purple ribbons and even had a little bell for her to ring if she felt like it. Besides, her birthday was coming up and he thought it would make a great present. He had gone all over the closeout warehouse store to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything, and even remembered to get enough sugar to appease even the most sugar addicted person he knew; Johnny. It always amazed him how many times the kid would put almost as much of the white stuff in the cup as he did coffee – and still be able to drink it. Shaking his head at the thought, he was more than a little relieved to see the house. Although he hadn't had any real trouble, he had run into a few unfriendlies while he was, uh, earning some money, and had the feeling he was being watched ever since.

Pulling along side the house he honked twice to let them know he was there and started to grab things out of the back of the truck, making a mental note to put the trike up where certain little eyes wouldn't see. Looking towards the house he about feel out of the back when he saw the Winchester's following Johnny out the door. Something about the moment struck him hard about how they could think that he was their missing family member; he actually saw it, and he had no idea how to deal with it.

Having already cleaned Ellie up from her playtime in the dirt, Johnny was left to his own devices which usually meant fixing something. He wasn't known as a whiz when it came to making things work, but given enough time he could usually figure it out; instructions made it a lot easier, but those were oddities in this house. There was a list somewhere that Cade had made out at first as a joke, but somehow had become the "To Do" list, and that was what he was looking for, he always had to hunt it down and he was pretty sure Cade hid it on purpose. Finally finding it in an old cookie jar on the top shelf of the kitchen cabinet, he checked on Ellie again to make sure she was still happy playing with the empty spool that she had found. He knew that the Winchester's were up to something, and he had an idea what, but how do you tell someone to quit wishing when they hadn't taken the hint yet?

John had been watching the kid ever since he and Ellie had come out of the kitchen. He could tell that Johnny was edgy, anyone could the way he was fidgeting and trying to find something to do, but watching him search high and low for something that only he knew was more that a little disconcerting, and he was starting to wonder if the boy didn't have some sort of affliction himself until he heard a "Gotcha!" and saw a piece of paper being pulled out of an old jar. It took him a little while before he realized what it was and he almost laughed. 'There should be a tablet full of all the things that need to be fixed around here.' He thought as he watched Johnnie get some things gathered and then head out of sight. Looking over at Mary he could only shrug when she looked at him questioningly. It wasn't until he heard a very loud curse that he thought he might need to help out and found Johnnie half in and half out of a closet that housed a water heater. Before he could form the question, they heard the truck horn and Johnny was out of the tight spot he had worked himself into with a quick, 'Cade's back and he needs help unloading.'

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Cade had been practically buzzing with nervous energy ever since returning home and he could only attribute it to the fact that he had been out of the house by himself. He loved his little girl, that wasn't the issue, but there were some days that he wished that he had managed to keep his paramedic job. Then again Ellie wouldn't have as many good days as she does, so it was easy to see how things balanced out. Now though he was looking around the table and he could tell that something was up. Quick glances back and forth from the Winchester's to each other then back to Johnny, while the kid just made a point to ignore them, finding the hamburger on his plate suddenly more interesting; and Johnny hates hamburgers. Yeah, something was definitely going on.

"Hey Dad, I hate to bring this up now, but uh… how's the new guy really working out?" Dean asked, trying to keep his tone casual, but inside he felt like a Mexican jumping bean as much as he was jittery.

John but his burger down then looked at Mary puzzled before turning his attention back to Dean, "Well son, he's new and I'd like to say it's just because he's still learning the ropes, but honestly not very well. The only reason why Mike doesn't want to fire him is because he's a nephew. I was thinking about keeping your place open in case you wanted to come back, we definitely need the help."

Looking back and forth between John and Dean, Cade couldn't help but wonder if these people were seriously thinking that they'd fall for this. When he looked over at Mary he understood suddenly what he had already suspected; if this didn't work, they were concerned nothing would. 'Well Hell!'

Dean was really looking uncomfortable and even he wasn't sure if it was because of the stretch of acting skills that he didn't have, or if he was worried about this idea not working. "Well, I could until the training session started up, but after that you'd be on your own again. What about the ad in the paper, any applicants?"

Watching the performance was almost painful and he couldn't take it anymore. "So, Johnny tells me that you're mechanics and own part of a garage, right?" Cade asked, watching as their faces took on a shocked quality, before turning into curiosity. "So, you're trying to find someone to take Dean's place while he's off saving kittens from trees, good luck with that. You know most people are going into the technical fields, you know like computer programming and such, they're following the money. Just out of curiosity though, how much are you going to pay someone just starting out and still learning the ropes?" Cade had a reason for keeping this going, and Johnny wasn't going to like it, hell he didn't like it, but they needed to get this situation dealt with and if these people weren't going to leave it alone, then…

"We were willing to pay three hundred a week for a full time schedule." John said, pausing when he noticed Cade and Johnny sharing a look. He glanced at Mary and had to wonder if he was imagining things, 'is this really going where I think it is?'

Johnny had been mostly ignoring the conversation around him mainly because he knew they were planning something, but then Cade had jumped in and started asking questions which made him wonder who was scamming who. Finally the issue of money was tossed in and he had to think if he heard right. For just learning how to work on cars, the person would get a steady three hundred dollars per week. He was usually able to put around five hundred a month into Ellie's bank account, more if he was able to really push it and was lucky enough not to get corned afterwards. Looking over at John he was trying to gauge if the man was serious with that much extra and the possibility of doubling it in a few well placed games, he wouldn't have to worry about Cade and Ellie so much. Mentally shaking himself out of where his thoughts were taking him, he had just about closed the door on his mutinous mind when Cade's voice brought everything crashing down around him.

"Hey, Johnny could do that, so when does he start?"

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The sound of raised voices reached their ears even though all the door and windows were shut. It wasn't until the sound of the arguing coming to blows that they ran out to see what was really going on.

"No way Cade, there's nothing wrong with her!" Johnny was yelling as he blocked Cade's fist and tossed one of his own.

"Damnit Johnny, who are you trying to convince, me or yourself? This doc says he can help, don't you want that? Don't you want to see her smile and hear her talk in a full sentences. How about all those promises of Disneyland, or was that just crap to make yourself…"

The sound of Johnny's fist connecting full on Cade's jaw echoed against the house and shocked Mary and caused Dean to move closer in case Cade came up swinging. John had no idea what had just happened, but he was starting to understand that they had stomped all over a family dynamic that they had been to anxious to ignore.

"You want me gone so badly; fine I'm gone!" Johnny yelled not able to believe what he had heard, after everything they had been through he was being tossed to the side… for what he didn't know; but it hurt – a lot. He saw Cade get up and attempt to say something, but he wasn't going to hear it, not now. "You wouldn't even have her if it wasn't for me, so remember that when you talking to that quack about making her into something she's not." He said before he strode into the house ignoring everyone else, he had a goodbye to say and a hug to give; he wouldn't be back, no matter how much it killed him.

Mary couldn't understand what just happened, and she was looking at Cade for answers. "What happened? Cade! Where's he going?" she asked, frantic that the young man wasn't giving the answers she wanted.

Looking over at the Winchester's, Cade confessed. "I screwed up. He would have forgiven anything I did or said, but I had to rub his nose in it." He dropped down to the edge of the Mazda's bumper before looking up to see the light in Johnny's window go out. Knowing that they were still confused about what happened he admitted, "I told him about a doctor who says that he's had a high success rate with autistic kids, but he's expensive. I told Johnny that if he really wanted to keep handing money over, he should at least do it so I don't have to worry about him being dead on the side of the road somewhere. Of course he's against anyone saying that Ellie is 'wrong', and that's when I told him that he didn't have any say so in the matter since I'm her father and if he didn't like it he knew where the door was."

Dean wanted to hit something, anything. He wasn't into the whole 'touchy feely' stuff, but even he could tell that Johnny and Ellie had a connection that most people never get a chance at, and being reminded that he wasn't her father would have ripped the kid to pieces. Now he had to wonder what was going to happen, because from what they heard, Johnny was going to leave and who knew where he was going to end up.

"Maybe he just needs some time to cool off. There's no way he'll just up and leave Ellie, he loves her too much." Mary tried to reason, but something told her that Cade was right; Johnny would have forgiven anything on the spot, but that was one thing he couldn't.

Cade shook his head, "No, he'll cool off alright, but when he says something he means it, and I have a feeling he's telling Ellie his last goodbye. He's right, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have her in the first place, and I go and tell him that. Damn, why did I say that to him?"

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After telling Ellie good-bye and giving her an extra long hug, he tucked her back into bed and left quietly into the night. There was obviously nothing left for him there and it was for the best anyway, as long as he was gone no one would think to hurt them because of him. He allowed himself a long walk in self pity before he buried it deep and allowed himself to move on. After all, now he truly was his own person and he had a whole country to see if he wanted. He'd just have to make sure to say away from blonde headed girls with pale blue eyes for awhile.


	9. Chapter 9

Dean had restrained himself as long as he could, but the thought that this guy in front of him had possibly ripped his little brother's heart out was all it took to let whatever tether he had on his temper loose. By the time his dad had managed to pull him off Cade, the man looked more than a little worse for wear and Dean had felt a tiny bit better about the situation. That was until he saw his mother's face and heard her words, then he started to feel panic.

"What if Ellie had seen you Dean? Johnny's not around and you're out here beating on her father, how would you feel if you were her?" she asked in harsh whispers, attempting to make a point about how the little girl was still aware of the people around her.

Looking at Cade, Dean grudgingly offered his hand only because he knew that's what Johnny would want. Thinking about what he'd done he had to admit that he was putting a lot of faith into the theory that Johnny was Sammy. He had no idea what he would do if they found out that they had it all wrong to begin with. Sighing, he led the way into the house, hoping that he might be able to talk to some sense into the kid before he took off and did something stupid.

After everyone was back inside, Cade quickly made his way to Ellie's room and seeing she was still asleep, he rejoined the Winchester's. "She's sleeping soundly, Johnny must have tucked her back in." he said, feeling worse than ever.

"What did you mean that you wouldn't have her if it hadn't been for Johnny?" John asked, knowing that they hadn't even scratched the surface of this small family's life.

Cade looked at John and shrugged his shoulders, "Just what it sounds like. The hospital wasn't going to release her to me without the court's approval, even though I was on her birth certificate as father and I never signed my rights away. They had some lawyer come to talk to me about how the hospital could be held liable for allowing a minor to take custody of a baby. Basically, it was a bunch of crap to cover their own asses and while I was arguing the facts of how I was supporting myself because the system had more holes in it than swiss cheese, Johnny was walking out of the hospital with his 'school books' in his backpack. They couldn't say that I did it since I was in a meeting with their representative, and even when I took her to the doctor for her check ups they couldn't do anything about it, especially after I found someone willing to petition the court on my behalf. If it hadn't been for Johnny I wouldn't have got her out of there in the first place, and I wouldn't have been able to keep my job which would have proven them right about me being unfit."

Mary thought about what she heard, and she wasn't sure if she should be proud at such resourcefulness, or horrified at the situation. Taking a moment, she listened to see if she could hear any sign of Johnny, but the house seemed quiet.

"He's already gone Mrs. Winchester. More than likely he went towards Cameron, there's a couple of bars there that he goes to blow off some steam. Normally I wouldn't worry about it, but tonight…"

"How far?" Dean asked as he took his copy of the car keys from his pocket. When Cade just looked at him, he asked again, "How far!" leaving no doubt to where he was going and why.

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Johnny knew it was late when a black El Camino pulled up along side of him and the driver offered him a ride. He and Cade had known the area drunk for quite awhile, and it never ceased to amaze either one of them how the guy was able to stay on the road half the time. Not caring about much at this point he threw his bag in the back and settled in for the short drive not caring that the driver was paying more attention to the whiskey bottle than the road.

Sitting at the bar and kicking back shots wasn't that big of a deal, but Mac the bar owner knew that there were problems at the Hart place when Johnny had barely come up for air since he walked in the door and everyone knew to leave the kid alone. It had been a lesson learned early on and no one had forgotten it since. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that the kid was barely old enough to drive, much less drink legally, but when the Sheriff is right next to you tossing back as many, you have a tendency to remember that the rules are different out West. He knew that Johnny would have enough and when he was ready, would head back towards the house, or at least that's normally how it went; the bag by his feet said something different tonight, and everyone couldn't help but wonder what changed.

Dean didn't know whether he should feel lucky or not. After finally convincing his parents that he'd have better luck in dragging Johnny back by himself, he had followed Cades directions and found him at the first bar he walked into. Now though he had no idea what he was going to do, Cade's warning to 'give him plenty of room' was echoing in his head and he had no idea how to do that and still get the kid out of there. Walking up to the bar he ordered a beer and was surprised to hear the guy ask for ID. "You're joking right?" he asked, sure that someone was going start laughing at the joke. "You're serving him, what do you need to ID me for?" he asked, pointing next to him at Johnny.

"Good point," Mac said smugly before turning to the other young man, "Hey Johnny, got ID?" he heard the kid smirk as he pulled one out of his jacket pocket and toss it to him, as he looked at it he started to laugh. "Ok Johnny Cade, age twenty two, can I get you another round?"

Dean couldn't believe what he just saw, much less what he heard, "Johnny Cade? Dude, couldn't you come up with something better? Although now I see where he got his name." When Johnny barely looked at him he took it as a good sign, "You know, _The Outsiders_… it's the name of one of the characters and…" he paused when he saw Johnny shake his head.

"His mom wanted a girl, was going to name him Candie, with an 'ie', when _he_ was born she just took off the 'n' and the 'i' and called it good."

It took Dean a few minutes to realize what had been said, and when he put it all together he couldn't believe it. "You're kidding right? That would have made him Candie Hart! Oh my God, that's too funny… remind me of that later. I'm going to give him such hell for that… candy heart!" When he was able to breathe again, he noticed his beer was in front of him and the bartender wasn't. Looking over next to him he couldn't help but ask, "So, how long you planning on staying here?" After a few moments of no answer, he continued. "You know, I get that you're upset. Hell he didn't say that to me, and _I'm_ upset, but you need to let it go. He knows he was an ass, and he's kicking himself for it, so how about you and me go back to the house and we get this straightened out before a certain little princess wakes up."

He had sat there and listened to Dean ramble on about how that everything would be ok now, and how they should just go back to the house and make nice as if everything would be rosy now that the great and almighty Dean had said so. Glaring at the man next to him, Johnny wanted to hit him, to make him see that he wanted to be left alone. He had been perfectly content to sit there quietly and drink until he had his fill then move on down the road to… well, he hadn't gotten that far yet, but he'd get there anyway. Now though, he found himself listening to someone who was more stalker than anything else, and he couldn't help but wonder, _really_, what it would take for him and his screwed in the head parents to leave him alone. Sighing, he threw some bills on the bar, grabbed his bag and walked out of the bar with a very excited Dean on his trail.

"Great! Get in the car and…"

Dean hadn't expected that, in fact he realized later that he _should_ have expected it; after all if someone annoyed the hell out of him and wouldn't leave him alone, then he would have done the exact same thing. Now though, all he could think was 'What the…' followed by 'Oh, Hell no!', before he sent an answering response of his fist towards Johnny's face. He quickly understood that the kid may have been drinking, but that didn't mean he was drunk, but he had the horrified thought that it was probably a good thing he wasn't; Dean had no idea if Johnny was a mean drunk or not, and this was _not_ the way to find out.

With Johnny determined to kick the crap out of Dean, and Dean just as equally determined to knock some sense into Johnny, it didn't take a genius to see that this had the makings of a very long night in the parking lot with bloodied knuckles and bruised faces being the sport of the evening. Both men had been giving it their best shot to get the upper hand, but neither had been able to pull it off. As they had started another round, a small car stopped suddenly next to them and frantic voices got louder as the occupants got closer.

John couldn't believe what he was seeing, both boys were having it out in the parking lot of some no named bar in the middle of nowhere and neither one had the sense to make sure that no one was sneaking up behind them. It was obvious that whatever had started it off, had taken place awhile ago, and that both of them needed a chance to cool off. Unfortunately, he'd had experiences with fights, and the number one rule: Don't ever get in between two brother's fighting. It was something that he had learned the hard way, but something that he had never forgotten, and still lived by. Now though he was watching two young men who, as far as he was concerned were his boys, fighting as if they wanted to kill each other, and he had no idea how to stop it.

Seeing what was going on, Mary couldn't believe that either of her boys could be so thick headed, then she caught herself. 'Like father like sons.' She thought almost amused, if it hadn't been so serious. Looking over at John she could tell the conflict going on within him, she knew the old saying about brothers, but these were her boys and damn it… they were going to listen! Walking over the both just as Johnny had started to bring his arm around for another go at Dean but brought it up short when he saw not Dean, but Mary!

Shocked, Johnny could only stare at the woman in front of him with his fist so close to her face, and he felt like someone had hit him in the gut with a sledgehammer. Looking at her then at Dean, he put his arm down and silently walked over to grab his bag.

"Johnny, stop! C'mon man, you can't just walk away… not like this." Dean said, watching as the kid continued with what he was doing. He looked at his dad hoping that he had something hidden up his sleeve, but what came out of the man's mouth made even his jaw drop.

"A DNA test!" John blurted out to Johnny's back. When Johnny stopped and looked back as if he had lost his mind, he continued. "You asked me what it would take for us to leave you alone. I said one night to plead our case. I'm asking right now for something that we were hoping you'd volunteer. Come back to Lawrence with us, we have the test done, you can work at the garage for however long it takes the results to come back, and then if you're not Sammy, you can walk away and we'll chalk this up to a bad experience and move on."

Johnny looked at the older man in front of him and had to wonder what was really going on in the man's head. "What's the catch?"

John shook his head, ignoring both Mary and Dean's protests. "No catch, if you're not Sammy, we'll let you go on your way if that's what you want. We won't follow or have you tracked down. If you're not Sammy, you're totally free."

Thinking a moment, Johnny looked back at him, "When were you going back to work?" he asked, not fully trusting what was being said, but kind of curious to see it play out.

Confused, John looked at Dean before answering, "Monday. Our plans sort of changed at the last minute, so we'll be heading back soon." Hating uncomfortable silences he asked, "So, should I pop open the trunk of the Impala so we can get going? I know I'm not getting any sleep tonight."

Shaking his head Johnny could see the protests mounting, "I'll meet you there. I'll be there at eight o'clock Monday morning, you can make the arrangements for the test for whenever you want that day, I make my own living arrangements, and you don't bring up anything that happened here. After you finally figure out that I'm not your son, I'll leave and let you get back to your searching. Deal?"

Dean wanted to say something… anything, but all that came out was a silent nod of agreement. He knew that his mom was wanting to cry, and he understood how she felt. They were leaving the closest person they had to Sammy, and trusting that he would fulfill his promise, that he wouldn't take off and not be seen again. He heard his dad call out to him to get the stuff out of the Mazda and put it in the car, and when he turned back around Johnny was gone.

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Mike had been his partner since before Dean was born, and they had shared a lot of good and bad times together. Today however he really wished his friend would shut up before he was forced to make him.

"Look John, I'm sure you had your reasons, but hanging not only your hopes, but Mary's too that this kid is going to show is just nuts." Mike said as he got things ready to open the garage doors. "I mean really, what are you going to tell her when she calls at five after and he's not here?"

"He'll be here." John said, knowing that he was actually putting faith in something that was said by someone he didn't really know. 'If he says he's going to do something, he'll do it.'

Not even caring about the time anymore, John pushed the buttons to open the overhead doors, anything to get the suffocating feeling out of the building. He was about to turn back to the first job of the day when something caught his eye. Johnny was standing their in front of the middle bay door with his bag still slung over his shoulder and a pair of dark sunglasses on his face.

"Am I early?" he asked with a grin, watching John smile, and Mike stare in shock.


	10. Chapter 10

AN: hey everyone... my updating could be a little unpredictable for a little while due to a death in the family. so either it'll be alot, or a little... sorry for any confusion.

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John had to admit that when he had seen Johnny standing there when the door opened earlier in the day, he had felt relieved. He had known that Mike had been right, Mary would wait for about five minutes before she'd start calling wanting to know if Johnny was there yet. Sure enough the phone had rung and being as idiotically happy that he had been he had looked over and told Johnny, "It's Mary, why don't you answer it with something to really blow her mind." He had expected something subtle to make her come around slowly to the realization that he was there, but after a moment of giving him a puzzled look, Johnny shrugged and answered with, "Winchester and Sons, this is Johnny" making Mary scream in excitement so loud that Mike had heard her across the garage and made Johnny temporarily deaf in one ear.

Now though, he watched as the boy was helping Mike tear down a head after he had already done the oil changes, replaced an alternator belt, and took one car out for a test drive before coming back saying that the only thing wrong with it was the guy didn't know how to drive a stick, making everyone laugh at the bluntness of the statement. He could tell that Johnny knew how to do a few things, that was obvious, but he still had a lot to learn. He could only hope that the boy would have reason to stick around so his earlier statement about _Winchester and Sons_ would be true.

Looking at the clock, he knew it was time to go. Mary had called and made arrangements for the test to be done at three and they both still needed to get cleaned up. "Hey Johnny, how about we head to the house for a few minutes before we get up to the hospital?" he said, not thinking anything about it until he noticed a few people stop and stare. Not sure how to handle the situation he was actually relieved when Johnny nodded, shook Mike's hand saying that he'd see him later, then walked out the door towards the Impala. 'Maybe things will work out after all.' He thought, enjoying the break in the day.

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Johnny hated hospital more than anything else in the world. Ok, not more than anything, he still hated jails cells worse, not by much, but still more. So now he had to wonder how he got himself talked into sitting in a hallway with three lunatics waiting to have someone do who knows what just to find out something he already knew. 'Damn Cade was right, the alcohol has finally caught up with me.' He thought wondering where that stray thought came from but quickly passed it off as nerves, after all, sick and dying people went to hospitals willingly, crazy people went not so willingly, so either he was sick and didn't know it, or he was crazy and… wait, he already knew that one. He'd been called crazy more than once, and even believed it himself half the time with all the things his brain comes up with, so why should he be surprised to find himself in a hospital now?

Hearing his name, he looked up to see Dean looking at him worried, "Dude, you ok? Maybe after we're done here, I can get dad to take you home. Hey, have you found a place yet? There's an opening in my apartment building, if you want we can head over and I'll talk to the landlord with you…"

Dean's voice faded out as they walked into a room with a doctor and a nurse waiting. He could tell they were explaining something, but he really had no idea what. All he knew was that the room didn't have a window and it was getting smaller. The nurse motioned him to open his mouth, then a swab was brushed around, but all he could think about was 'how could they all fit into this little room that kept shrinking?' He was only faintly aware of a hand on his shoulder and the doctor looking at him, talking to him but he couldn't hear anything and he had to wonder if it was because the room had crushed all the air out and that's why he couldn't hear – he read that sound only carried because of air, so that made sense, right? Right? Ri…

"OH MY GOD… JOHNNY!" Mary screamed as she watched his eyes roll back and he collapsed at their feet. She had known he was agitated, but didn't dream that it was this bad.

"Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, please calm down, I'm sure it's only a panic attack. Do you have any idea if he's claustrophobic? Sometimes we don't think about coming into these smaller rooms, but to someone who suffers from that affliction it could be quite terrifying."

Dean stood there watching in horror as Johnny collapsed without any sign at all of what was about to happen. Now the doctor was talking about claustrophobia and small rooms, and _why did they bring them in here if they thought it was a possibility?_ Now all they could do was wait until the kid opened his eyes and get him the hell out of there, maybe where there was sky, yeah, that would be good… no small rooms, ever. 'Might make finding a cheap apartment hard to find, but hey what the hell…'

Johnny knew that he should know what happened, it should have been easy to figure out, but as soon as he opened his eyes and looked around, the only question that would come out was, "What happened?" Being helped off the floor wasn't a new experience, but for some reason this time made him feel more than a little uneasy.

"Mr. Doe, I assure you that it's a normal reaction; however I should caution you to let hospital personnel know of your condition when you undergo any procedure. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll go send these by courier right away."

"Condition?" Johnny asked, sure that maybe his first assumption was right, he was sick and didn't know it. "Courier?" He was feeling really confused and wondered if he hit his head on the way down.

Mary could see the questions piling up and she rubbed Johnny's arm for assurance. "Claustrophobia, apparently that's why you passed out. Why didn't you tell us, we would have understood."

Looking around the room, and allowing himself to be guided out, he admitted, "Uh, I didn't know?" When he saw their expressions he shook his head, "I never really thought about it, sorry. I really didn't mean to uh, well…"

Knowing what Johnny wanted to say, Dean could only imagine at what the kid had to be feeling, not that he was showing it. No, Johnny was a little confused about what was going on which made Dean think that he had been in full blown panic attack the whole time the doctor had explained everything. "Hey Johnny, don't worry about it. Oh, and the courier is because they don't have to facilities to do it here, so they're sending it into Kansas City. We should get the results in about two week, right Dad?"

John had been so concerned about what had just happened that it took him a second to figure out that Dean was talking to him, "Oh, yeah, a couple of weeks. They'll let us know, then we'll come back in and get the results." It sounded so easy when it's being discussed in a non- consequential way, but it felt anything but that to him. In a couple of weeks things could change drastically, and what if they found out they were wrong, Mary was already attached to Johnny, and he hadn't missed how Dean would get defensive for the kid either. He didn't know how they would handle it if Johnny left now; probably as well as he would.

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It didn't take long for the news to spread that John and Mary may have found Sammy, which brought its own set of problems right along with it. They knew that Johnny hated being in the spotlight, and it seemed that he couldn't go anywhere without being told that everyone was glad to see him back where he needed to be, driving Johnny further into himself, making the Winchester's more concerned about his nocturnal habits. Another problem with everyone knowing what was going on with their life was the inescapable fact that everyone was interested in letting John and Mary know everything that their 'youngest son' was doing at any given moment in time. Dean had thought it was hilarious at first, until his name had gotten dragged through a few conversations making it sound as if the couple of nights the boys had been playing pool, had just been a cover so they could get acquainted with a certain set of twins known not to be too discriminate. After that, Dean had taken better care in listening to what was being said and setting the record straight; he knew what Johnny did while he was out all night, but he also knew that if the roles were reversed he'd probably have dove into a bottle and not surfaced at all, _so give the kid a break._

Both John and Mary had their concerns about Johnny's health, but each night he'd sit down for dinner as if nothing was wrong; engage in conversation about the day, the weather, even the softball team that John was on; then as soon as dessert was ate and the dishes done and put away he was off again until the next morning when the routine would start all over again. Mary would make sure to send an extra lunch with John, and John would do his best to get the boy to eat it but usually would go home with it still untouched. John would try to coax him to at least take over the couch at the house, but would be disappointed every night when he would head out the door again. Dean had followed Johnny a couple of times, but after he saw that he was doing his best to not get himself killed, he decided to leave him alone; asking a few friends to call if there was trouble.

Johnny couldn't help but count down the days. He didn't have much, but he did have his word, and he had promised the Winchester's he'd stick around until the results came back. Now though they seemed to expect him to spend more time with them, and had even made a point to try and get him to go out with them when they went out to eat on the weekends. He could tell that they already had their minds made up, but it was really starting to get old. He tried to keep his activities to a point that wouldn't upset Mary, and he'd done a pretty good job so far, staying mostly in areas of town that certain 'good folk' had only heard rumors of, and he normally didn't have a problem finding a place to finish out the night, which made him able to grab a couple hours of sleep and a shower if he felt up to it. Now though he really wished that doctor what's his name would call already and give everyone the news so he could get out of everyone's life and start leading his own.

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The phone wouldn't stop ringing which normally wouldn't have been such a nuisance except that it was only John and Johnny in the shop due to some emergency in Mike's family, and both of them were trying to get a stubborn starter in a very small foreign made car so there were no arms to spare for the annoying phone.

"Finally!" John said under his breath when the caller finally gave up. He looked up to see how Johnny was doing trying from the top to keep things from moving back in the way, and it looked like it might actually work this time, except the phone started ringing again. Cussing at how some people could be inconsiderate and that it had better not be a sales call, John slid out from underneath the car. Letting Johnny know that it was time for a break, he was almost to the phone when it stopped again making John more aggravated than ever.

Passing a cold soda from the cooler, he motioned Johnny to sit down and got a good look at the kid. Half the time it looked like the boy didn't sleep, with the dark circles under his eyes getting darker by the day. He didn't smile anymore, instead the closest they could get was a non-committal nod, and that was for something that was good. Then there was the problem with the alcohol. He hadn't actually seen him drink while he'd been in Lawrence, but it hung on him at times like he had just put the bottle down a few hours before going into work, although it hadn't affected his work at all. Knowing that Johnny drank hadn't surprised him; it was seeing how it had increased since arriving that had John worried. Something was sending the boy into a tailspin, and he could only assume it was Ellie.

Feeling that now was as good of time as any to find out what was going on, he had just turned back to Johnny when he heard Mary yelling from the parking lot. "JOHN! Damn it, John! Come on, we have to go – now!" she yelled, motioning for both of them to hurry up. At their puzzled looks she started to get even more upset. "They lost them John. Somehow the hospital lost the samples and we have to do it again, only this time we need to go into Kansas City and have it done there to make sure nothing's lost."

"WHAT! It's been over two weeks, they're just now telling us? What happened?" John exclaimed as he started to lock up the garage. Suddenly he stopped and looked at Mary before he turned to Johnny. "Oh God Johnny" he said quietly looking at the young man in front of him. Knowing how he'd already declined since arriving, he really didn't think that Johnny had another two weeks left in him without completely losing himself. "Johnny, look, I know we promised not to pry, but if this is too much for you, say so. I'd much rather be able to have my suspicions unconfirmed and you healthy than find out for certain and you end up dead. Are you willing to try this again?"

Mary knew that something was going on, she wasn't blind. The young man in front of her was a shadow of what he had been and that much of a change in a little over two weeks time was just too painful to watch. She had to agree with John, if it was too much, then she'd rather not know for certain. Watching both men she waited to see what the verdict would be. Finally Johnny got in the backseat of the Impala and they were racing down the road to make their appointment. "Dean wanted to come too," she told Johnny, "but with him just starting the academy, he couldn't get out early."

Nodding, Johnny agreed, Dean needed to stick with his plan. "It's ok, he was there the first time." He said quietly, knowing that it was true. Dean had made a point of being there that first time when he didn't need to be, just like he'd been checking up on him for the past two weeks. Leaning back, he couldn't help but wonder about these people. They were taking a huge risk for a stranger, and he contemplated what they would do for each other.

Dean couldn't keep his mind on the topic at hand and it was driving him nuts. He had spent his break being told about the loss of the DNA samples and how they were going to have to get Johnny to agree to do it again. He wasn't an idiot, it had been increasingly hard to rein him in until the first results were supposed to be ready, not that he had actually been able to curb Johnny's natural tendencies, because that was far from the truth. He hadn't been prepared in finding out that between the two of them; they were making quite a reputation for themselves. Sighing, he thought about the night that he had practically walked in on Johnny and a girl he had just met; seeing the person who could be his brother making out with some random chick wasn't something he had wanted to see, but he had to admit that the kid had taste. Looking at the clock again, Dean wanted to fast forward the rest of the day so he and Johnny could get together and go shoot some hoops or get in a few games of pool, which had been their little tradition for the past week. Somehow he knew that tonight Johnny would need a major distraction, and he was planning on being there for as long as the kid needed.

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Mary had been worried about Johnny all week, and it had taken a very devious plan for her to get her way tonight. She knew about the girls and the drinking, she even knew about a few things that John probably didn't know; she was just happy that Johnny knew when and who to hustle, otherwise he would have been dead in the gutter by now. No, she knew how much he was just waiting for his obligation to be over so he could take off, and that's why he hadn't bothered to even look at apartments, choosing to stay in a run down motel if he couldn't find a place by the end of the night. She had a suspicion that if it hadn't been the thought of her, then he wouldn't have worried about a motel and would have slept in the streets instead. So she took her newfound and wonderful to know knowledge and used it to her advantage.

With Independence Day less than a week away, she was planning a big picnic with all the trimmings and an excursion to the city wide fireworks display that night. She had made a point of bringing it up to Johnny frequently until finally he had told her, as politely as he could, that it wasn't part of the agreement and as far as he was concerned it should be a family moment, not something for him to be a tag a long for. John seemed almost upset, and Dean looked like he was going to jump in but that's when her plan went into action. "I tell you what Johnny, you spend the night here and keep me company during the late night double feature and I won't say another word about you coming with us on the fourth. Deal?" she asked, giving him a look that challenged him to deny her request.

"Why don't you want John or Dean to watch them with you?" he asked, suspicious about her plan.

Smiling she said honestly, "These wimps? They see a little gore and they're hiding in the couch cushions." She laughed at he protests that were being tossed her way, but she ignored them, instead watching with renewed interest in the young man in front of her. "So, do we have a deal? I promise I won't even try to bribe you with that cake that you like." She said sweetly, noticing that his interest was getting piqued.

Rolling his eyes, Johnny finally agreed, "Fine, but don't expect me to go to church with you tomorrow." He said, putting his own arrangements into the mix.

They had just finished dinner and with Dean and Johnny doing the dishes, Mary knew that her plan was working better than she had hoped. As she looked at John she could tell that he saw through her deviousness and was about to call her on it when a shadow past in front of the window followed by the doorbell ringing. Thinking that it was one of the neighborhood kids trying to get newspaper subscriptions, John opened the door quickly to get a jump out of the kid. However they were unprepared for what they saw.

A man in a suit stood in their doorway holding out a card. "I was informed that you would know how to get in touch with Johnny Doe. I have a very urgent matter to discuss with him personally." The man said looking around the room.

Dean and Johnny had heard the doorbell about the time the last dish was done and put away. Looking at each other they had just walked into the living room to hear the stranger announce who he was looking for. Not wanting Johnny to be in the line of fire unnecessarily, Dean spoke up. "What do you want him for?"

The man fidgeted slightly before he asked, "Is he here, or do you know where he can be found? I assure you this is an extremely urgent matter."

"I'm Johnny, who are you and what do you want?" Johnny asked, suddenly not liking the feeling that he was getting especially not after seeing the person who followed the first man into the house. "Sherriff?" he asked, now really not liking the feeling that he was getting.

"Hey Johnny, I need you to sit down." Sherriff Harell said, when Johnny continued to stand he looked at the young man. "Please Johnny, you need to sit down."

John looked between the Sheriff and Johnny and knew that nothing was going to be accomplished at this rate. "How about you tell us what's going on, then we'll decide who sits and who doesn't." he said firmly. He didn't like anything about how this situation was being handled, and he didn't even know the situation yet.

Clearing his throat, the Sheriff nodded before saying, "Johnny, Cade's dead. There was some trouble at the house, and he managed to get a call through to dispatch, but by the time we got there, there wasn't anything we could do. I'm very sorry son; everyone knows how close you two were."

Feeling as if everything was closing into black, Johnny wasn't sure how he managed to get on the couch, but he was pretty sure Dean had done most of the work. "Ellie! Oh my God ELLIE!" he screamed, not hearing anything about her was enough for him to come to his own conclusions.

"I assure you that Mr. Hart's daughter is safe. Now there are a few things we need to go over Mr. Doe." The man said, pulling out papers from his briefcase. "Mr. Doe, you are the sole beneficiary of Mr. Hart's estate, as well as the sole guardian of his daughter Ellie Hart. Now I understand that she has some mental deficiency and…"

A numbness had enveloped Johnny and he had no idea most of what was said until he heard the small man talk about Ellie. "She's not deficient! You don't even know her, so kept your judgments to yourself!" he exclaimed, jumping off the couch before another thought finally jumped out at him, "Where is she? You brought her with you, right?" he asked, hoping and praying that she hadn't been left somewhere alone, but he could only see that she wasn't here which meant that she was there…

"Johnny, she's in Flagstaff at the Children's Hospital where they're taking good care of her until we can get you two together…"

"NO, you left her alone! She can't be alone, don't you get that? She gets scared and she wanders." Johnny was starting to shake, but he didn't notice, "I can get there by tomorrow afternoon if I drove, right? That's too long…I have to get there now!"

Mary watched as Johnny came unglued while she was on the phone with the airlines. She saw both John and Dean try and calm him down but his only thoughts were of Ellie. They had just managed to get him back with them when the man in the suit spoke up.

"Sir, I still need to inform you of all the necessary arrangements."

"Screw the arrangements! Can't you see that you're not helping?" Dean yelled, trying to keep Johnny from running out the door.

John was getting ready to usher the two men out the door when Johnny's voice broke through. "How did it happen?"

Not wanting to traumatize the young man any further the Sheriff only answered, "It's best you don't know Johnny, trust me. Hell, I saw it and wish I didn't." Seeing that Johnny wasn't going to let it go he nodded, "It's all in the report anyway. We're not sure, but we think that Ellie saw it." At the horrified look on the other faces he quickly assured them, "She wasn't hurt, but it took us awhile to find her. Johnny, someone strung him up from the front porch and cut him open like they were dressing a deer."

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AN: Hope you all liked this one... hope to see you all soon! 


	11. Chapter 11

AN: I'll try to keep the updates coming through this rough time, but I hope you forgive me if I fall short. Enjoy!

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Dean was sitting next to Johnny. He hated to fly but there was no way he was going to let the kid go without him, and it looked like it was a good thing. Looking across the aisle, he could tell that his parents were thinking the same thing. Johnny hadn't said a word since finding out what happened to Cade, and to be honest, Dean had no idea what to say to make him feel better. How anyone could do that to someone was beyond him, but he knew that for some reason Johnny was blaming himself. Looking over at him, he watched as Johnny stared out into the darkness; the only movement was the tapping of his fingers on the armrest.

Johnny knew what had happened, he had seen it in his nightmare, had heard Ellie's screams before he woke up to the room practically exploding around him. Now though he was going to have to find a way to take care of Ellie the way she deserved. He was too selfish to let anyone else do it, this past couple of weeks without even talking to her on the phone had been torture and he honestly had to wonder how he hadn't drunk himself to death. He was certain he could find an apartment for them to stay at until the results of the tests came back, then they could find a new town to move to. Someplace quiet with lots of trees and parks for her to play in. He knew that Cade had put everything in order to make sure Ellie was taken care of, in fact he made a habit of talking to an attorney every couple of months just to make sure things were what they should be. Cade had joked about being worth more dead than alive, and they had laughed about it, Johnny more so since he didn't have a life insurance policy of any kind and no assets which made him 'a big nothing all the way around' he had laughed at his joke, but Cade didn't. He had always insisted that the world was better because he was in it, if for no other reason than to help get through to Ellie. Ellie… he wasn't going to sleep until she was with him again.

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The Sheriff had already made transportation arrangements and after an unproductive argument about hospital policy not allowing people to wander the halls in the middle of the night, they were on their way to the hospital to check on Ellie with one very annoying attorney chattering about probate, life insurance, appointment with judges, as well as other things that had made each Winchester want to throw the man from the van.

Upon arriving, the small entourage was met the hospital's head administrator as well as Ellie's attending physician which made Johnny stop dead in his tracks and look at the Sheriff, "I thought you said she was alright!"

Dr. Fielding had been informed about the people coming in to see the little girl who had captured so many hearts that day, and although she couldn't agree with disturbing her patient in the middle of the night, she also knew that it was extraordinary circumstances. "I assure you that she is as well as to be expected. As you know we suspect that she witnessed her father's murder, and then had hidden herself pretty well, to the point that it took the Sheriff's department a couple of hours to find her. All in all though, she's hydrated, and even allowed us to feed her a little earlier. She hasn't really spoken to anyone…"

Dean had been listening, really he had, but the absurdity of the doctor's statements had really floored him, "You do realize that she has Autism, right? I mean, come on, did you really expect her to start singing like a Blue Jay?"

The doctor smiled, "Of course, we understand that. Autism doesn't make a person mute, they can still communicate their wants."

"Has she said anything at all?" Mary asked, worried not only for the little girl they were about to see, but for Johnny who had gone back to being withdrawn, as if to prepare himself for what he was about to see.

Nodding, the doctor explained, "She has been slightly communicative, however the only sound besides her humming has been something that we haven't been able to figure out. Does anyone know what 'ony' means?" she asked, looking to each person but was surprised to see the youngest of the group take off in a run down the hallway looking at the room numbers along the way.

"Oh God!" Johnny said over and over again. He knew what 'ony' meant, and it wasn't good. She hadn't said that since she was two, and only because she had gotten really good at saying his name by then. If she had reverted back to her baby name for him, then she really wasn't doing well at all.

Finding the room he swung open the door in full stride and stopped, horrified by what he saw. It didn't take everyone long to join him and the doctor had just started to reprimand him for disturbing their other patients when he spoke, "Get her out of that."

Confused the doctor didn't fully understand at first, but after few minutes she realized what he meant. "I assure you that she isn't being harmed, Mr. Doe. It looks far more archaic that it is…"

"She's in a cage!" he growled and looked at her with such fierceness that she took a step back.

"Mr. Doe, it's for her own protection. It's basically just an over sized crib, with extended rails on all sides so she can't climb out and fall. I assure you it's for her own protection!"

"She wouldn't need it if someone was with her. She only wanders when she's scared or upset. Now get her out of that – NOW!"

Dean had stepped closer to the door to make sure no one else came in and tried to interfere, the last thing they needed was more people getting Johnny or Ellie even more agitated. Mary and John took a step closer to Johnny, not to try and calm him, but to show their support. They had never seen anything like that before and it had upset them both, and they could just imagine how Johnny was feeling. Finally the doctor nodded and quickly undid the side panel so Johnny could pick Ellie up.

"Ony...ony…ony…ony…ony…"

"It's ok princess, Johnny's here. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere." Johnny said quietly, holding her tightly in his arms.

The Sheriff knew that things weren't exactly going well, but there were still a few things that needed to be taken care of, and it had to be dealt with soon. "Johnny, I hate to bring it up, but you need to stick around and get things settled with the court about Ellie. I know that it should be open and shut, but we still have to go through the motions."

Shocked, Johnny looked at the man. "What? I'm her guardian, everything's legal, there shouldn't be any issues. Not to mention I have work on Monday."

John couldn't help but smirk about that, most people would have found something like this as an acceptable excuse to miss work; not Johnny. "I'm sure that we can take an extra day to make sure that everything's in order Johnny." Seeing that he wasn't going to back down, he tried another tactic, cold but effective. "If you want to take her with you, then this is how it's got to be!"

Dean couldn't believe what came out of his dad's mouth. In fact if it had been anyone else he would have a split lip by now. As it was, Dean watched as Johnny looked like he was trying to decide to make a break for it, or concede.

"I assure you that there will be no need for that. Mr. Doe, may I call you Johnny? My name is, Toby Norris, and although my associate is correct that you cannot leave until arrangements are made, I assure you that we can request an emergency meeting with a Judge in just a few hours and see you and little Ellie on the way."

Stunned, the people in the room stared at the newcomer and wondered who this person really was. After all, things couldn't be so easy as to have someone walk in who could speed things up, could it?

"Today's Sunday," Johnny said quietly, suspiciously, watching the man who had just walked into the room. "What judge is going to want to listen to my case on a Sunday?"

Smiling, Toby couldn't help but admire the young man. He had been more than a little shocked to hear that Frank Billow's son had been murdered, that hadn't been part of the plan, but then again it was working out better than he could have ever imagined. Now they not only knew where Johnny was, but also that he'd be slowed down a little while he was saddled with a little girl who had a handicap of some sort. No, there was no way he was going to let this opportunity slide by. "I assure you, there are several Judge's in the area who work on Sunday, and one in particular who will be here in the hospital right after breakfast visiting his granddaughter. So, we should not have a problem at all in getting everything situated so you can take custody of Ellie."

Johnny looked at the Winchester's and he could see that they weren't feeling so optimistic, and he was wondering if he saw what he thought in Dean's eyes; a plan forming just in case? Not taking stock in attorneys, he shrugged his shoulders and sat in the rocking chair to wait out the rest of the night with Ellie snuggled close.

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Knowing that Dean would make sure that no one disturbed Johnny or Ellie, John and Mary went to the small cafeteria to get everyone some breakfast. They had left at the sight of Johnny and Ellie asleep in the rocking chair with Dean standing protectively over them both.

It hadn't taken long to find the cafeteria, and even less time to put in an order for four breakfasts to go. While they waited however, they had the opportunity to sit down and drink some coffee as they planned their next move.

John had been worried about more than Johnny's health ever since the Sheriff had walked into their house. By the look on the boy's face, he knew that somehow Johnny had somehow suspected the turn of events, and that made John wonder even more about the kid that they were so determined was Sammy. Now though, this same boy was going to have another little life to take care of, and at the moment he seemed barely able to take care of himself. "Mary, we need to decide what we're going to do here…"

"Don't you tell me that we have decisions to make John. As far as I'm concerned, the only one's that need to be taken care of is how far do we support Johnny. Before you say one word, you better understand that there is only one right answer; all the way!" When she saw that her husband was about to say something, she interrupted abruptly, "You know he's Sammy, I know he's Sammy, the only one who hasn't figured it out is Johnny, and even if for some reason he's not… I'm not going to just abandon that boy, especially with that little girl to take care of!"

Laughing, John pointed behind her, "Sweetheart, you're preaching to the choir. I was just going to say that our orders are here and we need to figure out how to carry everything."

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Dean stood by the window watching the sun rise, normally he wasn't a morning person, but then again he hadn't been asleep yet so he could be forgiven for being out of character, right? He didn't like the new attorney who stopped in to 'help' them this morning, there was something about him that screamed 'don't trust me!', and Dean was more than willing to listen. However, if this guy could get Ellie and Johnny back home quickly, then he was willing to overlook a few things; for the moment. As he glanced back at the small rocking chair, he smiled as he watched the two sleep as if they were in some little world of their own. Actually, it was nice to finally see the kid sleeping, he and his dad had both seen the changes in Johnny and neither was optimistic about the outcome if something didn't change soon. Now however, he had a strong feeling that everything would work out just fine now that their little princess was back with them. 'Uncle Dean,' he thought, 'yeah, I could get used to that.'

Seeing his parents walk in with breakfast and coffee, Dean smiled until he saw who walked in behind them. The Sheriff insisted on talking to Johnny, and apparently it couldn't wait, even though he was getting reluctant after seeing how the kid and Ellie were enjoying their nap. "Look, I'd really like to tell him face to face, you know… but I have a feeling that wherever he's been the last several weeks has put him through the wringer." The man looked around and finally continued, "I've already started to get Ellie's things together, as well as packing up the house. I wasn't kidding when I said that I know how close those two were, and there is no way that he needs to see that. I'll have one of my deputies bring her suitcases here this morning. You know, it amazed all of us at how much these boys actually bought for her, if they owned four pairs of jeans between them I'll eat my hat, but I'm betting that Ellie has every princess doll and little girl outfit ever made."

They watched as the Sheriff left and they really hoped that the meeting with the judge would go as smoothly. Turning back around, they saw a pair of pale blue eyes staring at them. "Hi Sweetheart, are you hungry?" Mary asked, wondering if she would be willing to leave Johnny long enough to eat. Ellie watched the others, but then her attention seemed to be drawn to the door before she went back to humming and looking around the room. Turning around, they saw the attorney Toby followed by two other men.

The older of the three smiled gently as he saw the little girl laying on Johnny, "I can see that we came at a bad time, we'll come back in a little while." He said, motioning the others to follow.

"Wait…" Johnny said quietly, trying not to disturb Ellie, "what about…"

"Son, it's obvious to me and everyone here that you are too dead on your feet to be able to make any type of informed decisions. We'll be back in a little while after my granddaughter kicks my tail at checkers."

"No sir, we need to get this done soon." Johnny said as he stood keeping Ellie close. "Cade had everything arranged, and I'd like to get her home soon, she doesn't deal with new situations well as it is."

"Well, if there isn't any objections, I can hear the arguments now, and have my decision by the end of the day."

Confused, John and Mary looked at each other while Dean scowled at the other men. "What decision? I thought this was an open and shut case." John asked, wondering what to expect.

The other man in the group took some papers out of his briefcase. "I'm sure you understand why Judge Myers cannot just allow _anyone_ to take custody of the girl…"

"The contents of the will are indisputable" Toby argued, putting his own papers out of another briefcase, "the absurdity that you would want to drag this out when this little girl has no other family is…"

"What's absurd it allowing a sixteen year old boy custody of a child with the type of problems that she…"

"Now wait a minute…"

"Stop!" Johnny hissed at them, "For people so determined to say I can't take care of her, you sure have no idea what's going on." Looking down at Ellie he rubbed her back and spoke softly trying to get her to go back to sleep. "She doesn't do well with yelling, so if we're going to do this, then it needs to be a little quieter and a whole lot nicer."

Judge Myers nodded, "I have to agree. Now, Mr. Doe, I have looked over all the pertinent papers in this case, and I understand that Mr. Hart declared you sole beneficiary as well as custodian of his daughter, are you aware of this?" Seeing Johnny's nod, he continued, "I have to agree that to give a minor custody of a child especially with the challenges that Ellie has would be very unorthodox."

"Sir, I was Emancipated in January of this year, I usually sent money to Cade and Ellie every month before that, and I'm the only one who knows how to take care of her now." Seeing the other attorney open his mouth to speak, Johnny rushed on. "Are you saying that it would be better if I was her father, left her with Cade, and now that he'd gone I'm willing to take on the role of daddy as if nothing happened? Is that how it works?" Looking around the room he saw a mixture of amused, confused and agreeing faces. "Fine, that's exactly how it went down. I got Ellie's mom pregnant, I wasn't ready, Cade stepped in and you know the rest. Case closed!"

Any other comments that would have been brought up were drowned out by protests of both attorneys ranging from 'making a mockery of the proceedings' to 'perjury' and leaving several other people in the room stunned into silence. Finally getting everyone calmed down, the Judge looked at Johnny, "Ok son, obviously you've done your homework, but how are you going to provide for her? Take care of her needs, such as medical? Do you have a home that is safe and productive for her? These are questions that are being asked at the moment. Have you thought about these things son? Have you thought about the sacrifices that you will have to make?"

Without hesitation Johnny looked at the attorneys and the Judge before declaring, "Sir, I have a job, and everything that I have ever done since the day she was born was for her. I will do whatever it takes to make sure she has everything she needs, nothing else matters to me."

Seeing the seriousness of the young man's face, Judge Myers nodded sadly, "I understand son, but you obviously don't. There's more to taking care of a child, especially one who's as disadvantaged as she is, than good intentions. I normally don't go against what is declared in a legal will, however…"

"Your Honor, Johnny hasn't told you everything!" Dean spoke up ignoring the sudden paleness in Johnny's face. "He's been doing everything that he can to show that he's totally independent, but he didn't tell you that at the moment he's waiting for an apartment in my building to open up, but he's been staying at Mom and Dad's house until one does, I know that he's looked over every piece of information about Autism that he could find and that he and Cade got into an argument because they didn't agree with a new doctor's assessment. I know for a fact that he's the only one who can get her to get dressed and to eat if she's having a bad day, and you should see how she will sit still just for him when he's brushing her hair. He has a job at the family garage where he's learning the ropes, and it might not seem like much, but dad's fair with the wages; the more he learns the more he'll earn. You can't just ignore that there was a reason why the will states what if does, and if you do then the system is more thoroughly screwed than what I've been told."

Looking at Dean, Judge Myers contemplated what he heard and then asked, "While you're at work, where will Ellie be?"

Johnny was stumped, he had no idea; he hadn't gotten beyond getting back to Lawrence and waiting on the test results. He hadn't expected having someone question his legal right to Ellie, and it was throwing him out of sorts. Before he could come with any sort of plan he heard Mary's voice beside him.

"She'll be with me, where else?"


	12. Chapter 12

AN: Hi everyone... I hope you all like this chapter, let me know!

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While the attorney's were still arguing about the validity of a Will that named a minor, emancipated or not, as sole custodian of an autistic child, Johnny helped Ellie into a chair so she could see outside while she ate some breakfast. He thought that she had done pretty well considering all the fussing that had been going on around her, but then again what did he know. According to people who hadn't even cared that she existed before today, he was unfit and they were going to take her away to somewhere that he'd never get to see her or talk to her. Not even listening to the attorneys anymore, Johnny reached over and grabbed the outfit on the nightstand that a nurse probably left for her and started coaxing her into getting dressed. It took twice as long as it normally does, and a couple of screaming fits later, but she was out of the hospital gown and into a set of sweats that left much to be desired but fit none the less. Afterwards, all Ellie wanted to do was lie in Johnny's arms and not move.

Judge Myers had been watching everything that had been going on in the room and he had a few more questions. "Johnny, did your friend Cade say why he thought his daughter was autistic?"

Confused at the question he answered honestly. "Several doctors had diagnosed her with a form of it. Actually they each diagnosed her with a different form of it. It was scary at first, one day she could tell us she wanted juice in her cup and the next day it was like a switch had been turned off. She doesn't like to be held except by only a few people, when she says anything its one word, even the therapists that have worked with her are puzzled; but then again from what I understand every case is different. She likes to hum but not listen to music unless it's from a movie, and only if she has a doll to play with while she's watching." He started to smirk a little and explained, "Actually we thought she liked any doll, but we found out that she likes certain dolls with certain movies. We found that out the hard way."

Mary smiled at the thought of the two young men learning the differences between dolls and how they most likely figured it out; through trial and error. She saw the judge contemplate something while the two attorneys were still arguing in the background, and she could only hope that the man in front of her could see how much Johnny and Ellie are good for each other.

"Alright everyone, we've taken enough of these good people's time for the moment. I now have a date with a checker's whiz, and believe me when I say she reminds me of it every week."

"But your honor…"

"Not now Jeffrey, I'll have my decision ready by two this afternoon, here in this very room, so there should be no excuses for being late. Is that understood?" Judge Myers said, looking at both attorneys as if he couldn't stand the sight of them either.

Finally having most of the chaos gone from the room, Johnny felt Ellie relax before she drifted to sleep again. Looking around the room he locked eyes with Dean. "Why did you lie? I'm not waiting on an apartment in your building and I haven't been staying at your parents' house."

Dean smiled widely, "Hey, I never said how long you stayed, and as far as you were waiting for an apartment, sure you were everyone is right now because of the renovations being done at the moment. So see… no harm no foul."

John groaned at his son's reasoning but didn't comment further, hoping instead that what Dean had done had actually helped and not hindered the case at hand. Looking at his watch, he noticed that they still had several hours to kill and wondered just how many 'princess movies' they were going to have to watch today.

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Toby Norris took the opportunity to make an overdue call, and it wasn't going as well as he had hoped.

"Look, if you didn't order the hit, and I didn't order the hit, then mind telling me who did?"

"_Oddly enough we think that he hustled the wrong people and they waited until the house was quiet to try and collect."_

"Wait, you're telling me that Cade was murdered for a couple of hundred dollars after whoever it was followed him what… four hours out of Flagstaff just to teach him a lesson?"

"_That's what we're hearing. Look Toby, you have to understand, if it had been supernatural in nature we most likely would have spotted it in plenty of time, but this… man this was just people being crazy, and there were no warning signs for that."_

"Damnit! You know this isn't how it was supposed to go down. He was supposed to find out for us if and or when Johnny started going crazy. Now we can only hope that we can keep an eye on him until…"

"_Toby, there's been more talk about making sure there isn't a when and completely ignoring the 'if'. The others have been trying to remind those involved that we don't go around murdering humans, but their argument is that we don't know if Johnny is still human or not."_

"This is becoming a bigger mess than any of us ever dreamed of. Have you found Singer yet?"

"_No, not yet. He's been keeping a real low profile lately, and I can't really blame him. He's saying the demons are lying, that the bastard didn't get a chance to do anything to the kid, but there are others who want to believe that he's the one lying to keep his reputation in tact and that they haven't spent this many years hating an innocent kid."_

"So, tell me, what am I supposed to do? If this kid is some all powerful psychic, do we let some of the zealots take him down and save us all the trouble of fighting for our lives later, or do we hope that this kid is what he seems which is a total screw up that probably won't reach his thirtieth birthday if he doesn't turn his life around?"

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Dean couldn't figure out how Johnny kept everything straight. Apparently after the suitcases were delivered, the search had been on to find a certain little dress with the matching shoes, and did Johnny say socks? At first he thought that the kid had been joking, but it didn't take them very long to find out that if you wanted those little white shoes to go on those little feet, they had to be in the purple sparkly socks which somehow matched the Barbie princess dress that Ellie was wearing, and Dean didn't even want to think about how all that co-ordination came about. Instead he stood back and watched as Johnny had taken every suitcase and emptied them out onto the chairs, nightstand, and rocking chair, only to start matching everything together and putting them into the cases 'the right way' until he found not only the purple socks in question but also two ribbons that weren't purple or sparkly but somehow fit into her criteria for a matching accessory.

By the time that Johnny had changed Ellie, finished repacking everything, fed her lunch, and redid her hair twice, both Dean, John and Mary had to wonder what Johnny was on and if they could have some. They hadn't seen him so energized in… well, ever! Of course Dean was trying to hold back the comment about Johnny being around all those girly things making him happy, but it was really only the fact that John's foot stomped on his that he managed to keep his mouth shut.

As time continued to creep slowly, they noticed a change in Ellie. Instead of a complacent child who was willing to be guided to where she needed to be, she became more agitated to the point that her body would become rigid and she would not allow anyone to touch her. They watched as nurses rushed in to check on her, but Johnny waved them away saying that today was getting too much for her, and then took up position on the floor by her side as she ran her hands across the smooth linoleum tiles as if the past few minutes had never occurred.

Smiling, Johnny looked up, "Looks like she found something new."

Mary had been concerned about how Ellie was taking everything and as she looked over at John, she could tell that John was getting more worried by the minute.

"Hey Mom, why don't you and Dad go stretch your legs a little. Oh! Maybe go find some pie!" Dean said, doing his best to usher them out of the room without making them too suspicious.

"Dean, we're fine where we are. Now what's gotten into you?" John asked, watching Johnny and Ellie play some game on the floor known only to them.

"Dad, really, can't a guy just want the best for his parents?" he asked giving them his brightest most innocent look.

Mary looked between Dean and the other two of her family who were currently content on the floor. "Alright, I don't know what you have up your sleeve young man, but we'll give you a little time to yourselves. Come on John, apparently we need to find pie."

Waving at his parents as they walked down the hall, Dean watched them until they finally turned the corner before he rushed back into the room. "Ok, how much of this stuff does she really need?" he asked, hoping for an easy response, instead only getting a blank look. "Seriously dude, we can't take all of it. Now is there any possible way she can get by with one bag for now?"

Looking up at Dean, Johnny continued to watch as the other man started opening and closing suitcases until finally something clicked. Looking at Johnny, Dean stood back a moment, "You already have a plan."

"I can't get you involved; you and your parents have done more than enough. Everything will work out like it's supposed to." Johnny said quietly, waiting for another outburst, but not expecting how it came out.

"Alright, pick her up and let's go. I'll grab her bag and we're out of here. We'll call Mom and Dad later and explain everything, they'll understand."

Johnny sat there and watched as Dean started to pace, alternating between which bag to take before he finally sat them all down and watched the two on the floor. "Dean, whatever happens...it's for the best. Sit down; everyone should be back in about half an hour, then we can make whatever decisions that need to be made."

He couldn't believe what he heard, there was no way that after everything, Johnny was going to let everything be settled by some senile old man posing as a judge in the middle of a hospital; was there? If so, they were so screwed.

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John and Mary had just walked in and sat down when the attorney Toby walked in looking a little more frazzled than he had before, but before he had a chance to say anything, the other attorney Jeffrey something or another walked in looking very smug down to every detail of his Sunday casual dress suit, making the Winchester's like him even less.

As they sat there waiting for Judge Myers to come into the room, everyone got exceptionally quiet. The only sound that could be heard was the blowing of the air conditioning unit, and Ellie's humming. As two o'clock edged closer, the more it seemed to take it's time until they heard a little girl's voice in the hallway.

"_Grandpa_, you let me win! Can we see the little girl now?"

Judge Myers walked in holding onto his granddaughter's hand, "Hello everyone, this is my granddaughter Julie, and she wanted to meet Ellie if that's alright with you?"

Johnny looked puzzled for a moment before he looked at Julie, "Uh, she's doing pretty well right now, but we had a few difficult moments earlier, so if she doesn't seem interested don't take it personally ok?"

Julie smiled and nodded, "That's ok, everyone here has bad days sometimes." As she sat down, Johnny watched Ellie's reaction, but when nothing disturbing came about he relaxed and waited. "Hi Ellie, my name's Julie." As Ellie continued to play on the floor, Julie watched her for a moment then looked at Johnny. "Why does she do that?"

"She sees things differently, so when she finds something she likes, she takes longer with it than others." Johnny said patiently. He always had more patience with children asking about Ellie's differences than adults; children were still learning, while adults made assumptions.

"Oh, what if she could see everything like we do?" she asked while imitating Ellie's movements before she smiled. "Hey, I never noticed how the floor feels…cool!'

Johnny laughed, "Then I guess we would have missed out on something cool wouldn't we?"

A nurse walked in to let Julie know that it was time for her to get ready. Before she left, she gave her grandpa a hug and a kiss then looked back at Ellie. "It was nice to meet you Ellie, thanks for showing me!"

After the room got quiet again, Judge Myers sat in a chair and shook his head, "Son, I initially thought that you were in way over your head. Now though, I see that maybe it is we who don't have a clue about what this little girl really needs. I took the liberty of talking to the nurses about how she was before you were here, and how she is now. I've called the Sheriff and he explained a few things more to me that I have to admit were more than a little disturbing, but then again, sometimes you can chalk it up to boys being boys. The one common denominator is Ellie. No matter where you were, it apparently is a well known fact that you stayed in contact with Ellie and her father and even sent them money on a monthly basis, and I don't even want to contemplate how you pulled that off. I have watched you with her, heard you with her, heard reports of how you are with her as well as around her. If more people in the world took care of their own children that well, then there wouldn't be the need for Child Protective Services." Pausing, he looked at John and Mary before looking at both attorneys. "Mr. Johnny Doe has been declared an adult, and I can see no reason why the Will of Cade Hart should not be fulfilled in its entirety. Make sure all the paperwork is filed first thing in the morning and all copies sent to these fine folks here. Mr. Doe, I have seen seasoned therapists lose their cool when faced with a child in full blown temper, but from what I understand, you haven't… it might be something for you to consider."

Not fully understanding what had just happened, Johnny looked at Toby and asked, "Uh, is that it? I mean…can I take her now… you know, like forever?"

Toby laughed a moment, "Yes Johnny, you are now and forever Ellie's legal guardian. I'll forward all the paperwork to you as soon as I get it all filed and returned. Oh, and Johnny, Judge Myers does not dole out advice haphazardly, you might seriously consider what he said."

John, Mary and Dean smiled brightly at Johnny making him wonder what he had missed.


	13. Chapter 13

AN: Sorry for the delay, a death in the family has thrown me way off kelter... I hope you all enjoy this chapter anyway!

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Dean watched as Johnny entertained Ellie on the plane and had to wonder at what Judge Myers had said, and he had to agree; Johnny would make a great therapist, he should know as many as he'd seen as a kid. He knew that his parents had taken the idea to heart, but he was hoping that they would slow down a little before they scared him off the idea all together; somehow he knew that it wasn't going to be an easy sell. Watching how Johnny was with kids, especially ones with special needs, made him all the more determined to make sure that the kid lived up to his full potential; whether he wanted to or not.

Mary and John would sneak glances at Dean and Johnny, and they both agreed; one of their boys was going to college. Now if they could just convince a certain stubborn one that first: he was really Sammy and belonged with them, and second: that he had more to offer than being a grease monkey his whole life. John knew that is was hard enough keeping Johnny around until the second results were in, and he didn't even want to contemplate what would have happened if he had left without retaking the damn thing, but now he had Ellie to worry about and he just hoped that they could convince him that Lawrence was just as good a place as any to settle down.

Trying to keep Ellie calm during the flight was more than a little tiring, but he knew that they would be back in Lawrence soon enough and then she wouldn't be so tense. He had planned on getting a motel room, but the Winchester's had all loudly protested to the point that he knew there was no point in arguing; at least until he found an apartment, or the results were in. He hadn't thought about the test for days, and now that's all he could seem to keep straight in his head. These people had been great in helping him get to Ellie, then they had even helped the Judge see that they belonged together, he just didn't know what was going to happen when they found out he wasn't who they thought. He hadn't wanted to hurt Mary, she had been too good, too kind to him; he knew it would break her heart. Sighing, he held Ellie close and looked back out the window. If it was just him it would be no big deal, he'd grab his bag and go and then he could continue with his life, but with Ellie, she was starting to show signs of acceptance with the Winchester's and that added a whole new set of complications.

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Johnny carried Ellie into the house worried that she might be coming down with something, she hardly ever slept this much. As he thought about her last couple of days however he realized that with as much excitement as she had its no wonder she was worn out. He had been inside the Winchester's home before, every day in fact for the last three weeks, but he'd never ventured upstairs; there was no reason to. Now however, as he followed Mary up the stairs and listened to John talk about asking Mike to bring in a bed from somewhere, he was starting to get more than a little nervous; this was all becoming a little too real for his liking.

Mary didn't know whether they should put Johnny and Ellie in Sammy's nursery or not, but seeing as the little girl was exhausted, it made the decision easier. Opening the door, she stood to the side and let them in. Mike had been kind enough to come by and put in a full sized bed where the crib was, otherwise the room looked exactly as it had the night Sammy was stolen from them. Seeing the hesitation on Johnny's face, she worried that she had pushed too hard, too fast.

"Uh, you know we could just as easily stayed in Dean's old room, you didn't have to change anything for us." Johnny said staring at the room in shock.

"No can do buddy boy, I'm staying here for a little while – apartment, renovations, any of that ringing a bell?" Dean joked and waited for some witty comeback, but then

noticed that Johnny wasn't moving at all. "Hey, you know Ellie's worn out, and you don't look that hot either. Why don't the two of you call it a night and we'll see you in the morning?"

Mary and John both agreed and before he knew what was happening, Johnny was thrust into his own personal hell; complete with someone else's life. Things never ended well for him when he got attached to people; more precisely, it didn't end well for _them_. He didn't know what was different about Cade and Ellie, but he was thankful that nothing had happened to them. It hit him suddenly, his best friend _was_ gone and the only thing left of him was his little girl. He didn't know why death followed him around, but he knew one thing, he'd kill anyone who came close to Ellie – anyone or _anything_.

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"So, what do you think? Is he going to be able to sleep tonight?" John asked Dean as they waited for the coffee to brew.

Shaking his head Dean could only respond, "Would you? Dad, no offense, but don't you think it was a little, I don't know… weird to throw him into Sammy's room like that? I mean, I could have stayed in there while he and Ellie took mine for the night."

John thought about it for a minute, "I don't know son. We all know he's Sammy, I guess I was hoping that something would click for him." He said then laughed a moment. "You know, Mike likes Johnny, but he still thinks we're all crazy to believe that the boy is Sammy."

"John, have you thought about what his reaction will be when he finds out he's really our son?" Mary asked, watching as both John and Dean looked puzzled. "Oh for… John, you cannot just think that he's going to get the results and then give us all a big hug and step right in as Sammy do you?"

"He's already stepped in as our youngest son Mary, you worry too much. Wait and see, everything will be fine." John said, purposefully ignoring the unsure looks on his family's faces.

Not sure what to do, Dean got up and quietly walked up the stairs wondering if his dad had totally lost his mind. There was no way that Johnny was just going to suddenly accept having an instant family to rely on, it was hard enough to drag him to dinner every night without it turning into a major battle; usually it was his mom who managed to get him there with some dessert or another. Now though, he had a feeling that not even his mom's cooking would keep Johnny around this time.

Walking down the familiar hallway, Dean knew that Johnny wouldn't be asleep, and he wasn't disappointed when he cracked open the door and saw Ellie curled up in Johnny's lap as he rocked her in the rocking chair. "Hey," he whispered, not wanting to disturb their little princess but didn't want Johnny to feel alone. "how's it going?" he asked, then wondered why he kept coming with the lamest questions.

Johnny had heard Dean walking towards the room but wasn't sure if he would really join them, he found himself hoping he would. It was becoming increasingly disturbing how attached he was becoming to the younger Winchester, he'd been fighting it, but there was something about Dean that made him… what? Feel safe? That sounded ridiculous even in his own head, he barely knew him, so it had to be something else, even if he didn't know what. Watching the door open slowly, he saw Dean peek his head in before asking how things were, and then got that look on his face as if he wondered why he asked that. "She saw the bear on the shelf, I didn't think you'd have a problem with her using it tonight."

Dean looked again at Ellie and saw the brown bear cuddled close in her arms. Smiling, he remembered that bear, he gave Sammy that bear when he had been allowed in the room to see him; he also remembered taking over an hour picking it out and his dad asking if he was sure that was the one. "Trust me, it's cool." Dean said as he walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. "I take it she woke up again?"

"Yeah, just long enough to change into her nightgown and insist on the bear. You know, she's never been a big teddy bear fan before, I wonder what caught her eye about this one." Johnny whispered while he continued to rock the sleeping little girl. "Most of the time I can figure out what draws her to something, but…" Suddenly realizing what he was saying, he stopped. "Sorry, I tend to go overboard."

Smiling, Dean couldn't help but wonder about this Johnny, the one who wonders about how things are and how to make them better. The other one was handy to have around, he knew how life really was and how to survive it. But this one, right now, was the one that he had always pictured his little brother would be; curious, caring, and if able, willing to help make someone else's life brighter. Realizing he was staring, he cleared his throat and rubbed his hands on his jeans. "You know, Mom and Dad would love for you and Ellie to stay here, and I have to admit, I like the idea of having her around; keeps Mom out of my hair."

Johnny smirked at what Dean said, he had a feeling that that wasn't the only reason why he wanted them around, but he chose not to bring it up; right now he was too wired with all the thoughts that kept crashing around in his brain. As much as he wished he could sleep, he knew that there was no way it was going to happen. Instead he listened to Dean talk about his parents, his girlfriends, his first week at the Academy, and how much he still wished his dad would give him the Impala. As much as it sounded like babbling, it also sounded like a calming, and he allowed Dean to work his magic until his chaotic thoughts smoothed out and he found himself enjoying the moment.

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"Let me get this straight… you posed as federal agents using the names Barnes and Noble, and you wonder why they were suspicious?" Toby asked wondering how these two managed to stay alive this long. "You do of course realize that just because they're from Kansas doesn't mean they're stupid!"

The man named Craggen looked incensed, and didn't care who knew it. "Look, it shouldn't matter what our names were. They were helping the kid, and now you say that he's with them now. I say it makes our job easier."

Toby stared at the man and wondered if he had been hit on the head harder than what they all thought. "Look, you overstepped your boundaries, and I'm having to clean up the mess. You know that the main objective was to find him, not _kill_ him!"

"Now look…"

"No! You look, until we know for certain what the demon's intentions were for the kid, and how far he got into fulfilling those intentions, he's to be considered as human as you and me. Got it?" Toby said, looking at Craggen with distain. "You've done your job, consider it 'Mission Accomplished' and go home."

The other man had stood silently for a moment then looked at the attorney, "If you're wrong about this…"

"Miller, if I'm wrong then none of us will be around to say 'I told you so'. I've been told to send you both on your way, and I'm having to agree with the wisdom of that decision. You're both too blood hungry; and you don't care who gets caught up in your personal vendetta. Go home, or you'll be put on the list yourselves."

Both Craggen and Miller couldn't believe what they were hearing. "You're siding with some freak of nature over us? That's insane! We've risked everything to…"

"You've been compensated for it! Now get out of here." Toby yelled. He knew what would happen if he got the call while they were still there, and he really didn't want to go there. He watched as they both left, and he hoped that they would cool off soon, otherwise he'd have a bigger mess to clean up. Why was _he_ always assigned the crazy hunters? Finally his phone rang, and he knew that it was the news he'd been waiting for. "So, tell me about Samuel Winchester."


	14. Chapter 14

AN: I hope you all like this chapter...

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Mary wasn't sure what happened, and that frustrated her more than anything. Dean had gone to the Academy early, John and Johnny rode to the shop together after Johnny made sure that Ellie was fine and explained how he'd be back after work. That left the two girls to have a fun day together, and they were for awhile, but now Ellie was sitting on the floor keening as if her heart was breaking and Mary had no idea why or even what to do about it. Looking at the clock she knew that she should expect another call from Johnny in about half an hour, but she wasn't sure they could wait that long. Picking up the phone, she called the garage and after talking to Mike for a moment, asked for Johnny.

It took only a moment for a frantic sounding voice to come across the line, and she felt awful for putting him through the worry.

"_Mary? What's wrong? Is Ellie ok?"_

"I'm not sure, we were doing so well, and then… well, you can hear her, any idea what's going on?"

There was a pause for a moment before Johnny asked to talk to Ellie and after a little maneuvering, Mary held the receiver to Ellie's ear. After a few moments, Ellie stopped fussing and listened, and then all was quiet. After another moment, Mary realized she heard Johnny calling out to her.

"Sorry about that Johnny. I had no idea what to do."

Johnny's tired voice came across the line, making her feel worse for disturbing him.

"_It's alright, she's just getting tired I guess. If you find Ariel and put in the movie, she'll probably fall asleep."_

After promising to find the movie for Ellie, Mary hung up and looked at the little girl. "It looks like my son has this princess thing down better than I do. How about we go upstairs and find Ariel?" Mary asked, and was pleasantly surprised to see Ellie follow her upstairs. 'Yes, I'm definitely out of practice.'

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Johnny hung up the phone and turned around only to find himself the center of attention. It wasn't until Mike started laughing about being the only garage in town with a floor show that Johnny realized what he'd done, but he couldn't bring himself to care; Ellie needed reassurance, and he gave it to her.

John had been settling up with a customer when Johnny had started to sing into the telephone, and it wasn't until the older woman smiled and commented on how her granddaughter loved The Little Mermaid that he had put things together. Smiling, he had to admit, that having Ellie around was going to make things a lot more interesting, but definitely worth it. "So, how's Ellie?" he asked, as he watched Johnny get started on a brake job.

"She'll be ok until we get home I think. Things are still a little raw for her at the moment." Johnny said while trying to figure out how the guy who drove the car into the shop had been able to stop. "You know, I appreciate the room, but she and I are going to have to find our own place pretty soon."

Not expecting the turn in conversation, John stood there for a moment and watched as Johnny pried the pads off the rotors with a couple of well rounded curses. "You know, you both can stay with us as long as you need. Mary likes having someone to fuss over, and I have to admit, Ellie keeps Mary out of my hair."

Laughing, Johnny couldn't help but think how alike John and Dean are. Shaking his head, he glanced over, "I tell you what, you can use Ellie to keep Mary occupied, and you help me find a decent place for us to live."

Feeling as if he'd been hit in the solar plexus, John could only stare at Johnny for a moment. It was the only time that the kid had actually come close to asking for their help, and he wasn't going to make light of it. Nodding, he agreed, "Alright, you have yourself a deal, but only if you agree to stay with us until we can get you two moved in."

Not sure if he'd been outmaneuvered or not, Johnny reluctantly shook John's hand in agreement. Now if he could just find a decent apartment, he'd feel a lot better about this arrangement.

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Dean was happy to be home. It wasn't that his day had been particularly bad, but it hadn't been the greatest either. Most of the problem had been him, he could admit it, his head wasn't in it and it showed. Sighing, he couldn't wait to see what his Mom was planning for dinner, but more than that he couldn't wait to see a certain little girl. Opening the door, he was surprised to see Ellie lying on the couch clutching one of her dolls, watching a movie without his Mom around.

"Mom! Hey, where you hiding?" he called out, but was disturbed that he didn't get a response. Walking over to Ellie, he sat next to her for a moment and saw that she was actually staring at a blue screen on the television. Concerned, Dean picked Ellie up to make sure she was alright, finding himself even more worried when she didn't start to fuss. "Alright kiddo, let's go find Mom, then we'll see about finding some cookies!"

Not seeing anything out of the ordinary in the dining room, Dean continued his line of conversation into the kitchen only stopping when he saw his Mom lying on the floor. Setting Ellie quickly down into one of the chairs, he went to find out what had happened. Looking around, he noticed the small step ladder that she normally uses to get up to the top shelves, it was on its side, and she was unconscious. "Well, that's not good. MOM! Come on, you're scaring a certain little princess in the room, and by the way, you're not doing me any good either."

It took less than a minute to bring Mary around, but when she opened her eyes her concern was apparent. "ELLIE! Oh my God, Dean, where's Ellie!"

Moving to the side, Dean let his mom see the little girl who was sitting quietly where Dean had left her. "Mom, what happened? Never mind, let's get you checked out. Can you stand? We'll take my car, and I'll call Dad on the way."

Mary stood, but held Dean still. "Dean, stop. I'm not going to the hospital, I'm fine. I just fell off the step ladder."

"Just fell off the step ladder, and you're fine… do you have any idea how ridiculous those two things together sound? Come on, we're going…"

"No Dean, we're not! It's the first day I'm taking care of Ellie, and I already had to call Johnny once. How do you think he's going to take finding out that the person he's trusting Ellie to can't even take care of herself much less his little girl?"

"How do you think he's going to take finding out that something happened but no one let him know about it? You fell, you got hurt. Johnny needs to know if for no other reason than Ellie could start acting strange later and he won't know how to help."

Not sure what to do, Mary sat down and watched as Ellie turned her light blue eyes to her. "How's this, if she starts acting upset, I'll let Johnny know. I have a slight headache, but otherwise I'm fine, so don't use that as an excuse." She told Dean, daring him to make a big deal out of it.

Dean looked between Ellie and his Mom and wondered how he got himself into these messes. He knew that if Johnny found out that they hid something from him, then he'd walk out the door promises be damned. On the other hand, if Johnny found out what happened while he was gone, he'd have every right to do that anyway. Not exactly sure which way to go, he continued to watch Ellie who seemed, at the moment, fascinated with his Mom. "Alright, but if he finds out and gets mad, don't go crying to me about it, it was my idea to take you to the ER." He told her, wishing she would change her mind, but seeing that she wasn't he changed the subject, "So, where'd you hide the cookies?"

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John had just finished locking the garage doors when Johnny walked up to him and asked, "I have a few errands to run, do you think that you and Mary could watch Ellie a little longer?"

Seeing that it was taking a lot to ask, John offered to take him around so it wouldn't take so long. Reluctantly Johnny agreed, only after insisting that he pay for the gas, and promised not to take too long. When John pulled up to the first store, he had to look at Johnny for confirmation.

Nodding, Johnny got out of the Impala and walked into the little boutique nestled in the middle of a strip mall. Not sure what to think, John sat there and watched as Johnny talked to a clerk who seemed more than willing to get anything that he wanted. Fifteen minutes later, Johnny walked out of the store with several pink bags holding several brightly wrapped packages. Sliding into the passenger seat, Johnny sighed, "I think we'd better get back, Ellie's probably giving Mary fits right about now."

Looking at the bags in the backseat, John was curious, but didn't say anything instead he backed out of his parking space and drove them back home, hoping that someone could fill him in on what was going on. They were a block away from the house before Johnny said quietly, "Tomorrow's Ellie's birthday, and I wanted to surprise her in the morning instead of taking her shopping."

"Her birthday is the Fourth of July?" John asked, not sure why he should be surprised considering everything, but now he had to wonder what to do with this piece of information.

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Mary was making breakfast for her family while also whipping up a batch of cupcakes for a certain little birthday girl. After finding out about Ellie's special day, she and John decided that they were going to make sure that she had the best day possible; the only problem they saw was Johnny. He hadn't forgotten the agreement they had that they wouldn't try and include him during their picnic, and even went so far as reminding them that they had family time planned. Of course they had tried to convince him that he and Ellie were part of the family too, but he wouldn't listen, insisting that if Ellie was having a good day, then they'd go to the zoo after the little princess opened her presents.

Sighing, she couldn't understand why he was being so stubborn about everything, and then she realized what she was thinking and laughed at herself. If Johnny was being stubborn about anything, then it had to do with genetics; she'd noticed that the Winchester men were the most stubborn lot from the first day she met John. Knowing that John had run to the garage to check a tripped alarm, and that Dean had gone on a run, she was excited about surprising Johnny and Ellie with the small party they had cooked up. Now all they had to do was wait for them to get up and start their day.

"Hey Mom, how's the baking coming?" Dean asked as he walked in the back door looking around the kitchen for some goodies.

Smiling, Mary reached over and pulled a cupcake off the cooling rack, giving it to her oldest son as if he was still six and trying to sneak snacks after school. She was going to ask how it was when John walked in and looked upset, but before she had a chance to find out what was wrong, he rushed past and ran up the stairs leaving her and Dean to wonder what was going on. It wasn't until John came running back down the stairs that they knew something was wrong.

"They're gone! Damn it, they're gone!" John said as he pulled the phone book out of the drawer and pulled the phone closer. "Mike! Yeah, look I already checked it out… no, nothing's missing but the files have been tossed… I don't know Mike, but I need to know if you've heard from Johnny…no, I don't know why… I've already talked to them and since nothing's missing there isn't much they can do…yeah, alright, thanks."

Dean looked at his Dad and didn't like what he was hearing. "Dad? What's going on?"

Looking at his family, John broke the news, "Someone broke into the garage and riffled through the personnel files, and now both Johnny and Ellie are gone."


	15. Chapter 15

It took Dean a moment to realize what his Dad had said, 'Johnny and Ellie are gone', and another moment to understand what that meant before he was racing upstairs to see for himself. As he flung open the door, he saw that the bed had only been half slept in which meant that Johnny had spent another sleepless night watching over Ellie, and off to the side he saw the presents were opened and the boxes were empty. Walking further into the room, he checked the closet and found all Ellie's suitcases lined up neatly at the bottom of the closet, with her clothes still hanging from the tiny hangers that his mom had insisted on putting them on. It took him a moment to find Johnny's bag stuffed underneath the bed, but for all intents and purposes, everything seemed to be in order. Rushing back down the stairs, he could hear his parents in the kitchen.

"John, you don't think that Johnny…"

"What! No Mary, I don't. I'm more worried about where they are at the moment and why someone would only look at the personnel files and leave everything else alone. My God, we have thousands of dollars in tools just lying around and they only go for information? I don't know Sweetheart; it looks more like our boy is in some sort of trouble."

Dean couldn't help but agree and didn't take him long to voice his opinion as soon as he joined them. "Everything's still there. The only thing out of place is Ellie's presents were opened." At their shocked looks he shrugged, "I had to make sure didn't I? Jeez, you make it sound like I was snooping!"

John would have thought it funny if the situation wasn't so serious. They had no idea how long the other two had been gone, or if they had even gone voluntarily. Looking at the clock he saw that it was now eight in the morning, and the sun was shining full in the kitchen. He had already talked to Mike, and he was going to talk to his nephew to see if Johnny had mentioned anything strange going on. The police wouldn't do anything unless they could show that there was evidence of kidnapping, or forty-eight hours, they could possibly make an exception with Ellie's condition, but only if there was sign that Johnny didn't have her with him anymore. Mary was about to call the police again anyway when they heard someone talking outside while walking up the driveway.

"That officer thought you were the prettiest girl in the whole parade, I'm going to have to keep my eye on the two of you aren't I? I tell you what, later we'll see if we can find him again and maybe this time you'll feel up to sitting on his horse with him, what do you think about that?"

Looking at each other, none of the Winchester's could believe what they were hearing, until the door opened and in walked Johnny carrying Ellie who was dressed as a ballerina princess, complete with pink tutu, ballet slippers, and a tiara.

"Oh my God, Johnny! Do you have any idea how worried we've been?" Mary exclaimed, looking shocked at both of them. "Where on Earth were you?"

Not sure what was going on, Johnny looked at the other three people in the kitchen cautiously before answering, "Uh, Ellie woke early, so I let here open her presents and I took her out to breakfast before the café's got crowded. We would have been back sooner like the note said, but she saw the police horses getting ready for the parade and we went to see them."

Confused, John asked what they all were wondering, "Note? What note?"

"The note we left on the table." Johnny said as he motioned to the small kitchen table that was bare. "I left a note, and even let Ellie color on it a little. I left it right there."

"Johnny, its ok, it probably just blew off; we'll find it later." Dean said, trying hard not to get even more weirded out then he was already. First the garage gets vandalized, then a missing note. It didn't seem like much separately, but together he worried that it could mean trouble for his little brother.

Mary had been so worried that she had forgotten about the special day. "Ellie, how about you and I start icing some cupcakes while Johnny talks with the guys in the other room?"

Taking the hint, Johnny gave Ellie a hug and a kiss before setting her down in a chair and followed John and Dean into the living room. Not sure what was going on, he looked between both men wondering who was going to tell him what had happened while they were gone.

John knew that he needed to get to the point, but he was more worried about Johnny's reaction and hesitated. Finally he felt he waited long enough, "Johnny, someone broke into the garage and went through the files. Nothing was stolen, but we're not sure what they were looking at."

"So, either you think I did it for some odd reason that would make sense only to me, or they were after my information that would lead them back to you." Johnny said, keeping his voice even and calm even though inside his heart was racing. "Alright, no problem, we'll make sure we have another place to stay by the end of the day, that should ensure that no one comes here to bother you and…"

"Wait! That's not what we're saying! Johnny, if someone's after you, we're here to help. No one thinks that you had anything to do with it, we're just concerned, that's all." John said desperately, hoping that they could convince him not to leave. "You promised that you'd stay until we found you a decent place to move in. I'm holding you to that."

Dean looked at his Dad in shock; he'd never known the man to go so far so fast before. It was more than a little disconcerting, but then again, he understood how his dad felt; he wouldn't do well losing Johnny either.

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Somehow Mary had convinced him that Ellie wanted a small picnic in the backyard just for them, and he didn't have the heart to say no; not after the apparent scare that he had put them all through earlier. Now looking at Ellie, he could tell that he made the right decision. Of course it helped that she was having a really good day, so he was trying to stay optimistic that maybe she wouldn't go back into her shell until after the fireworks tonight. Johnny knew he was expecting too much, but he missed seeing her smile and her giggles used to keep him and Cade rolling for hours. Now though she was trapped in her own mind, lost in her own world, and most of the time he could deal with it, but today was her birthday and he couldn't help but feel the loss.

Now though as he watched Ellie and Mary play on a blanket in the backyard, and watch John and Dean grill hot dogs and hamburgers in the driveway, he realized that he was a definite mismatch. Not that it was a new revelation, he had never fit in no matter where he was, but now it was more obvious. He knew that he didn't have the talent that John and Dean did with cars, and he didn't have the everlasting patience and all around goodness that Mary had – no matter how he was around Ellie. He was able to do what needed to get done, but that seemed to be about it. Working the last three weeks at the garage had been the longest he'd stayed at one job in his life, and he couldn't help the itchy feet he was feeling to get going and find someplace new. However he knew that he couldn't break a promise no matter how much he wanted to, he could only hope that he didn't hurt these people worse in the end.

"Hey Johnny! How about helping us with this stuff, Dean here is trying to do strange things with it."

"What strange things? I only said that I wished we had those dogs with the cheese inside, what's strange about that?"

Johnny laughed at the absurdity of the argument, but had to agree; hot dogs with cheese inside just didn't sound appetizing.

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Mary had known that they wouldn't be able to get Johnny to agree to go to the fireworks display with them, but she had enjoyed the day she had with him and Ellie anyway. Now though, as she thought about them being upstairs still asleep, she checked on them before starting the coffee, she had to admit that she felt as if she finally had her family together.

Reaching for a cup, she was already pouring coffee for her husband when he walked into the kitchen. They both knew that Dean would be up pretty soon, and they all were hoping that Ellie would let Johnny sleep for a little while longer. Although he was asleep now, they knew that he had spent most of the night watching over Ellie again. It was making them all concerned about what he thought she needed protecting from.

"Morning Sweetheart, I was wondering if you got that catalogue for me?" John asked, already knowing the answer.

Smiling, she pulled out a couple of booklet from a drawer, "Mrs. Johnson's granddaughter was more than happy to bring these over. Apparently she has quite a crush on Dean and was hoping to get a peek at him."

John groaned at hearing that, the last thing they needed was more love sick girls following their son around like lost puppies. "Ah well, as long as this works, then I guess we can deal with someone else popping in every once in awhile. How do you think that Johnny's going to take seeing this stuff?"

"I can tell you how he's going to take it, crappy." Dean said as soon as he saw the KU brochures and catalogues on the counter. "Look, you two need to give him some time. He still hasn't figured out he's Sammy yet, and you're already hinting college?"

Both John and Mary looked at each other then back at Dean. "Yeah, so?" they asked, making Dean want to bash his head in the wall until his ears bleed.

"Give him some time, that's all I ask. Ok? Just chill with the whole 'you're better than this' speech and let him figure out what he wants to do." Dean told them, knowing that they'd do what they want anyway. "I have to go. Apparently someone failed the quiz on Monday so everyone has to do double PT this morning."

Not sure how one had to do with the other, they watched their oldest run out the door leaving them to ponder what he said.

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Johnny felt like he could sleep for a week, in fact he had found himself trying that during lunch, but then the phone rang disrupting his peace and quiet. Sighing, he found himself staring at the same engine block that he had been staring at for the last half hour reminding himself yet again what it was that he was supposed to be doing. It was bad enough that he overslept, but Ellie had gone from an exceptionally good day to an equally horrendous day in the time that it took her to go to sleep and wake up again. Groaning, he knew that the house was going to be a mess when he walked in the door, and he knew that it was unfair to Mary to have left Ellie at all today, but John had mentioned that one of the used car lots was bringing in twenty cars in addition to what they already had to do, so he knew that he was needed at the shop too.

Finally finishing the alternator belt, Johnny was ready for the day to end when John walked up to him with the news that he knew was going to hurt a lot of people. 'Johnny, Mary called, the results are in. They're expecting us after we get done here.' Now he couldn't control the irrational thoughts running through his head, and the urge to find more things to do to drag the day out further. Seeing that they had done everything scheduled for the day, he cleaned up and helped John close the shop feeling as if this would be the last time and not knowing how he felt about that.

Mary and Dean were already waiting with Ellie when they pulled up. Mary was excited and kept looking back towards Johnny, while John was starting to feel a little nervous about the whole situation. Dean watched as Johnny talked to Ellie even as the little girl completely ignored him, and he had to wonder about the patience it took for someone to repeatedly be snubbed like that but still come back for more. Then the answer hit him and he couldn't believe that he had been so stupid, it wasn't patience, it was love. Johnny loved Ellie like she was his own daughter, that's why he would so everything for her, but so little for himself. Putting it in that aspect, he couldn't help but admire Johnny even more.

Fighting the city traffic wasn't something that any of them relished doing, but they all knew that it was necessary. Finally parking in the hospital parking garage, it took several attempts before Ellie climbed out of the car and walked with them into the building. Meeting the doctor in his spacious office had made the most sense, and it was obvious that it was the best thing when Ellie sat quietly on the leather couch and rubbed her hands over it repeatedly. It took a couple of minutes, but the doctor walked in looking puzzled.

"Mr. and Mrs. Winchester, I'm sorry that all of you were kept waiting so long. We could have had this issue taken care of a couple of weeks ago." When he saw their confusion, he went on to explain, "The first test that was couriered to us and were lost, it seems that the results were just misfiled. I have them and the new results as well. Now are there any questions about how the tests were run, or any accuracy concerns?" he asked, knowing that most people are curious at least a little bit on how accurate the test actually is.

"Doc, no offense, but my family has been waiting for a month. So how about filling us in on what you found out?" Dean said, watching his parents grow concerned, and Johnny look as if he was ready to walk away and never turn back.

"Oh, of course. In the test that we did of both of your samples compared to Mr. Doe's, the results of both tests confirm that you _are_ his biological parents."

Dean was already up out of his chair cheering while John and Mary hugged each other. When they turned to Johnny however, they found him losing his lunch in the nearest wastebasket and by the sounds of it, he wasn't going to be able to stop anytime soon.

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AN: hmmmm... what could be wrong? Yeah, I'm evil... I know! ;) Let me know how you liked it though! 


	16. Chapter 16

AN: Hey everyone... here's a long chapter for you, hope you like it. Let me know!

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The whole room stood at a standstill for a moment in shock, this was definitely not one of the possible reactions that they were expecting, then time sped up again and the doctor was calling for a nurse and asking Johnny questions that he could only move his head in answer to, leaving the remaining Winchester's to stand by and watch the scene unfold. Dean took a spot next to Ellie to try and calm her down as the sounds of Johnny becoming violently ill increased her anxiety to a new level. John and Mary were at a loss at what to do, so instead allowed the doctor to do whatever it was that he thought needed to be done.

Several minutes and an injection later, Johnny's stomach finally started to calm down, and the doctor was able to address the rest of the room. "I take it he was pretty confident that the results would be different?" he asked, trying to gauge the situation. "I've given him something for the nausea, but it'll knock him out for awhile. I suggest you get him home and let him sleep it off. If you have any questions or concerns don't hesitate to call."

After thanking the doctor, they helped Johnny back out to the Impala, and after Ellie was settled in Johnny's lap, they started the quiet trip home. John had to wonder about the reaction they just witnessed, and thought that might be best to do some digging around in their son's past. He knew someone that had turned investigator after leaving the service, and the guy owed him a few favors, he'd call and get him on the case. Looking in the rear view mirror, he saw a very ill looking boy sleeping snuggled close to their little princess. Yes, it was definitely time to see what his son had been through the last seventeen years.

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The house was quiet with dinner being simple sandwiches and chips, worried glances cast upstairs. Ellie was more subdued and refused to eat anything, making the others worry that whatever was affecting Johnny was affecting the little girl as well. Mary had wanted to go upstairs and check on her son, but knew that he would probably sleep through the night if the doctor was right. Dean however had his suspicions that whatever had caused his little brother's distress would push him back up and about pretty soon.

In hopes of keeping Ellie quiet for the rest of the evening, they all settled onto the couch to watch Cinderella and Dean volunteered to get the doll from Sammy's room. Upon walking in though he realized that something was wrong; and quietly walked closer to the bed. Johnny was drenched in sweat and the blankets had been kicked to the floor. "Johnny, hey wake up!" Dean said shaking his brother's shoulders in an attempt to release him from his nightmare. "Johnny!"

Bolting straight up, a scream died in Johnny's throat as he looked around and saw where he was. Seeing Dean looking at him with a worried expression made him wonder what was going on. "Where's Ellie?" he asked, knowing that normally they would be together but for some reason he couldn't figure out what had happened to make the little girl not be by his side.

"Dude, calm down. Ellie's downstairs waiting on Cinderella to join her. The real question is, are you ok?" Dean was tempted to check his forehead for a fever, but knew that it wouldn't be looked upon favorably. Instead he was content at looking at his little brother, now that there was no doubt he was Sammy, and try to see if there was anything he could do to help.

"Yeah, yeah I'm alright. Just a little confused for a minute I guess. Damn, what did that doctor give me?" Johnny asked, trying to figure out how he could have stayed asleep so solidly for so long.

Dean smiled and shook his head. "Man, I have no idea, but whatever it was kept the upholstery in the Impala clean. You know Dad loves that car more than anything else he owns. I think that if he had to clean it because of your stomach, none of us would have been allowed in it for a year."

Johnny couldn't help but join Dean in his laughter, in the short amount of time that he had known them, he had come to the quick decision that the Impala was the family's baby; and nobody messed with the baby.

After they both calmed down a bit, Dean looked over and asked, "So, mind telling me what happened at the hospital? I mean, hey, I get that we're not exactly the Brady Bunch, but we're not that bad."

Looking at Dean, Johnny could tell that under the joke was a layer of hurt and it was something that he'd been trying to avoid ever since meeting this family. Sighing, he fell back on the bed and spoke softly. "You know it's really too soon for me to wrap my head around this, it's just going to take me a little while to figure out what to do with it. I don't want anyone to get hurt, and you will; it's just a matter of time."

Listening to his little brother, Dean wasn't sure what to make of the small speech. It was obvious that he'd gotten used to being around, and that Ellie was showing signs of accepting them too, but he had to wonder why Johnny thought they would get hurt. Sensing that they had enough for the night, he slapped Johnny's knee, "Come on, there's a little girl downstairs who really wants her doll and I just so happen to know that she doesn't want it from me. So get up lazy bones, it time to watch Cinderella."

For a moment Johnny could only watch as Dean went through Ellie's things until he found the proper doll then proceeded to toss it to him. Missing his little princess as it was, he was practically racing Dean out the door and down the stairs to be his Ellie's hero of the moment.

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John was more than a little irritable; being in a hot garage in the middle of July with only one small fan to help circulate the air will do that to a person. That and knowing that any progress towards bringing his youngest son to their line of thinking wasn't working had John in one seriously bad mood. It had been two weeks since the results proved without a doubt that Johnny was actually Sammy, and the boy still wouldn't talk about it; in fact he would pointedly refuse to discuss it, preferring to change the subject anytime the topic came up. Now though it looked like any answers he was going to get was going to have to come from another source, and that source was due in town in time for supper at the house.

Looking over at Johnny, he could tell the kid still barely slept, choosing instead to watch over Ellie as if someone would snatch her away if didn't. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but notice the irony of the situation, after all it was Sammy who got kidnapped out of his nursery when he was a baby and now it's Sammy who guards over his little girl in the same nursery as if some monster was lurking in the shadows waiting. Sighing, he pulled another work order off the desk and tried to decide who to give it to. Both he and Mike agreed that Johnny and Derrick, Mike's nephew, were pretty evenly matched skills wise, it was just a matter of who wanted the work more. "Hey Johnny, Derrick, come here a minute." He called out, he didn't want to be accused of favoritism and would prefer whoever did this job wanted to do it, not because it was assigned. "We got a job coming in for an overhaul, they need it done pretty quick, and Mike and I are willing to pay extra for whichever of you wants it to stay as long as necessary to get it done. Now the question is, which one of you wants to stick around this hotbox for the extra cash?"

Derrick and Johnny looked at each other not fully understanding what the deal was. Usually they did what was scheduled, and that was it; they always stayed busy, and no one complained. Now though they had an opportunity to rake in some extra money and neither knew how to handle it. Seeing that John was puzzled by their hesitation, Derrick pulled Johnny off to the side, "Look, you have a little girl to take care of. Go ahead and take the job, I'm fine with the money situation." Johnny had no idea what to say. Sure the extra money would be great, especially if Dean was right and a two bedroom apartment was almost finished in his building, but something still ate at him. "No, you're saving up for classes in a month; you need that for books and things, right? Ellie and I are fine, we have enough to keep us going, go ahead."

Mike joined John and watched the two quietly argue about who got the extra work. Finally he had to ask, "Are they fighting over who gets the overhaul?"

John nodded, "Yeah, but I don't think it's what it looks like. I think they're arguing that the other has the biggest need for the work."

Watching for a few more minutes, John finally had enough and asked what their decision was. Johnny looked at Derrick before answering, "We'll both do it, and split the money. That's the only thing we could think of."

Nodding in agreement, both John and Mike were relieved that they had been able to find a solution without any hard feelings from either family. Sometimes having a partner could be a pain, but all in all, it was still worth it. Mike took the work order and gave it to the boys, "Good, so if you screw up we can chew on both of you. Make sure that you lock up when you're done. John, I think it's time to call it a day, how about you?"

Laughing, John couldn't help but agree. Making sure that both boys had everything they needed, he turned back before leaving, "Call if something comes up, oh, and Johnny we'll call if Ellie needs anything, alright?" After getting confirmation, he set out towards the house determined to enjoy the rest of his day.

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Mary had known that John's friend Kevin Langer was going to be there for supper, and she was determined to make sure that everything went smoothly. When she saw her husband walk in the door two hours earlier explaining what was going on, she started to have her doubts about the whole evening. It was one thing to find out about what had happened to their Sammy, but it was something totally different to discuss it behind his back.

Dean had turned up at his normal time wondering about Johnny, and finding out what was going on wasn't too thrilled with the situation, but decided that the more information they had, the better prepared they'd be for anything that his little brother needed. He knew how sensitive Johnny was about his past, and even his name; he made the mistake of calling him Sammy once and the look that he got in return almost broke his heart, not because Johnny was being cruel, but because he looked so lost in who he was and what he should do.

After everyone had been introduced to Kevin, they all sat down and ate. Dean was able to help convince Ellie that Johnny would want her to eat the macaroni and cheese, and Mary had been able to keep the little girl occupied enough that her humming was a slight background sound instead of a constant drone. It wasn't until Mary brought out dessert that Kevin started explaining what he found out.

"Well, I must say the kid has led a full life from what I can tell. Baby Boy Doe was found on Dec. 25, 1983 in a wrecked car located in a ditch in northern Maine after a major snow storm. The truck driver who saw the vehicle said that he almost passed it by thinking that it was just a snow drift, but decided to check it out. He spent the next three months in the hospital with a broken leg and suspected spinal injuries before he went to a family where he lived for eight months. The Carter's were putting in the paperwork for adopting "Johnny", but before they could finish getting everything in order their car flips off a major interstate and kills them both instantly. Johnny was then sent to a foster family and was there for several weeks before he disappears from a grocery store for two weeks then left at a fire station in New Hampshire. After reuniting him with his foster family, their house was broken into and they felt it was unsafe for their foster children so they turned them all back over to the state. The next family had Johnny for six months before the mother started having mental issues and tried to convince people that Johnny had been 'marked' and needed to die before he killed everyone around him. Needless to say, he was removed from her care." He paused as he looked through his notes and then looked sadly at his friend. "John, I could continue and it would sound like something out of a bizarre novel. I'll save you that and fast forward to when he was eight. He was placed in a group home in Raleigh, North Carolina where he met a Cade Hart. Afterwards when he'd disappear they'd usually reappear someplace together. He'd get sent to either a group home or a foster family where strange deaths and occurrences seemed to happen on a fairly regular basis. It wasn't until he was older that the placements in families were harder to find, so he was usually tossed in with 'higher risk' kids, and that's when he started to get into trouble; not so much for himself, but someone in the family usually had a role in it. In fact, that's how he was able to convince a judge to grant him emancipation; he never got in trouble on his own, just when he was in the care of the state. There's a glaring example in Oklahoma where his foster mother and her husband were determined to make a fortune cooking meth and ended up blowing up the basement and half the house with them."

John, Mary and Dean had listened, and by Kevin's own words knew he hadn't told them everything, but it was enough to see a pattern. He wasn't anywhere too long, usually because something horrible happened. As they processed this information they heard Kevin continue.

"I spoke to several people who knew both Cade and Johnny, and they all said the same thing; the boys were inseparable when they were together, and you couldn't have asked for better daddies for that little girl. I don't know what help this is to you John, but I do know one thing; if he's still a good kid after everything he's been through, consider yourselves lucky and move on. Too many people get caught up in the past, if he's not one of them, then he's a stronger man than I'll ever be."

As they wondered about that statement, the phone in the kitchen rang. It took Mary only a minute to get to the phone and listen to the caller before her whole demeanor changed. "Oh my… John! We have to go, Johnny's been hurt!"

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Rushing into the ER at Lawrence Memorial Hospital, all three Winchester's and little Ellie were met at the door by Derrick who immediately tried to explain what happened all the while looking as if he could pass out at any minute.

"We had the engine ready to pull out, and while the winch was lifting it, it got caught, but when Johnny reached in to guide it out, one of the chains snapped. Oh my God, John… we checked them, I swear to God we checked them!"

John knew that accidents happened, he'd experienced them enough in his years as a mechanic, but this was his son they were talking about; the son that they just got back. Not knowing what to say to the distraught young man, he just nodded slightly and went to the receptionist to see if she had any information on Johnny. As they all gathered around her desk they heard something that seemed to get Ellie's attention, and make the girl behind the desk look very uncomfortable.

"I DON'T GIVE A RAT'S ASS! SCHEDULE THE GODDAMN SURGERY AND I'LL BE HERE – WHAT PART OF THAT DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND!?!"

Realizing that it was Johnny they were hearing, the small group took off down the hallway following the sound of his voice. Once they reached the outside of his room, they were shocked to hear the doctor.

"Mr. Doe, if you do not calm down we will be forced to sedate you and possibly restrain you for your own protection."

Before anyone could respond, Johnny grabbed the doctor by the scrubs with his left hand and snarled, "You do that, you had better kill me, 'cause when I wake up I'll be the last thing you see."

Mary stood shocked to hear such a cold blooded threat come out of her son's mouth, much less to see the eyes of someone who would follow through with it. Looking at John, she understood that he was as upset as she was, but it was Dean who surprised them all.

"I suggest you do whatever my brother says doc, 'cause you know, I'm going to have to side with him on this. You restrain him, and you'll have a fight on your hands."

Johnny was surprised to see Dean standing there, much less taking his side; that was something that only Cade would do. Suddenly he realized that John and Mary were there along with Ellie, and suddenly he felt very tired. All he wanted was to take Ellie home and make sure she was ok.

"You don't seem to understand Mr. Doe, we need our Orthopedic Surgeon to come and see you then schedule the surgery. If you leave here before he operates you increase your chances of losing your hand."

John felt as if his stomach had just hit the floor. "How bad is it?" he asked, seeing that Johnny's arm was wrapped and iced from the tip of his fingers past his elbow.

The doctor looked at the Winchester's for a moment, but decided not to question relationship status, "His wrist is mostly crushed, his forearm broken, and we believe that his elbow took a beating but is only bruised. There's signs of neurological damage to the hand, but we won't know the extent until the ortho goes in and pieces everything back together. This is a very serious matter, however Mr. Doe finds it necessary to make light of it."

"I'm not making light of it, it's my hand you're talking about! I'm not going to sit here all night until someone can come up with a game plan and then schedules a procedure another day away. Now, release me, or I go AMA." Johnny said, leaving no doubt in anyone's mind that he was serious.

"Johnny, please; stay here and let them help you." Mary asked, hoping that she could talk some sense into him. "They'll be able to keep your pain under control and monitor you for infections."

Looking at the doctor Johnny asked, "So, what course of antibiotics are you going to give me? The standard Penicillin, followed up with a shot or two of Morphine for pain? Sorry doc, I can get both on the street corner if I have to, so unless you can come up with something better than that, I'm out of here."

Dean found himself smirking at his little brother, for whatever reason he didn't want to stay in the hospital, and he was sticking to it. "Alright, how about everyone out of the room for a few minutes while I discuss this with Johnny; Ellie, you want to come with me?"

After everyone stepped out in the hallway, Dean helped Ellie up to sit in Johnny's lap, making the younger man a lot more relaxed. Looking over at his little brother Dean couldn't help but ask, "So, what's going on? You know that we'll take good care of Ellie while you're in here, so why not…"

"NO! She's my responsibility, not anyone else's. I'm not going to just pawn her off on someone."

"Dude, we're not 'someone', we're family. You need this surgery and for whatever reason you're hesitant about…"

"Damn it, no one listens! I didn't say I wouldn't have the surgery, in fact if they could wheel me in there right now and get it done, I would. They want me to stay here for the night, do nothing, maybe have surgery tomorrow afternoon, then 'monitor my vitals' for any complications so that's another couple of days of doing nothing. I should just be able to come back for the surgery and go back home. Problem solved."

Dean stood there and saw that Johnny was serious, he truly believed that after the surgery he'd be fine to go home and schedule any follow ups later. Not sure how to get through to his brother, he had an idea, and he knew that there would be some people who wouldn't like it. After walking out into the hallway, he saw his parents and the doctor in an argument and he couldn't help but wonder what it was about. When he got closer he realized that it had to do with Johnny and his threat to the doctor.

"Mr. Winchester, you have to understand my point of view. He's clearly a threat to others as well as himself. After we admit him, I am requesting a psychological evaluation that will guarantee his admission here for at least three days."

John couldn't believe what he was hearing, this doctor wanted to commit his son because he threatened the man after being told he was going to be forcibly restrained and sedated? "I tell you what, you bring down your superiors and we'll discuss this reasonably. I'm sure they would like to know what you threatened him with to provoke such a response."

Mary knew that things were heating up too much for comfort and her only concern at the moment was her family and getting everyone where they needed to be safely. Before they could speak anymore, another voice joined them putting a halt to any argument.

"I've discussed outpatient therapy with Mr. Doe, and he's more than willing to agree. My only concern is that the injury is to his dominant hand which will make taking care of his needs more difficult. I understand that he has a little girl to take of as well, will they be staying with family?" the orthopedic surgeon asked while looking at the Winchester's.

Nodding, both John and Mary quickly explained that Johnny and Ellie were staying with them for the time being and they were more than happy to help. Nodding, the surgeon smiled and agreed to do the surgery that evening with the understanding that Johnny would stay until the anesthetic wore off and his pain was under control.

"So, this isn't a trick of some sort to get him tossed in the psych ward?" Dean asked while looking at the other doctor fiercely.

Confused, the surgeon looked at his colleague for confirmation, when he saw the expression on the other man's face he groaned. "I have a feeling that Johnny was provoked, so there will be no evaluation; I'll make sure of it."

Relieved, they went back into Johnny's cubicle to see him and Ellie snuggled together, the little girl picking gently at Johnny's bandages. The surgeon talked to Johnny about what to expect and let him know that he fully expected to be able to release him the next morning. John and Mary assured him that they would be there waiting all night, while Dean conveyed without words that he would make sure everything would be alright.

As Johnny was wheeled towards the operating room, he couldn't help but wonder about how it felt to be around the Winchester's; it felt a lot like being around Cade and Ellie, it felt like home.

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AN: Hey, what do you know... I CAN end a chapter without a cliffie... wow, didn't know I had it in me... ;) 


	17. Chapter 17

AN: Alright, to be honest I'm feeling a little under the weather and I'm hoping that it didn't affect this chapter any... let me know!

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John had left only long enough to get a pillow and blanket for Ellie since everyone was determined to stay the night in the surgical waiting room. He couldn't help but worry about his youngest son, and he knew that Mary was feeling the same way. After watching their boy head towards surgery, they had a chance to talk to one of the nurses who promised frequent updates, and from what they had gathered so far, their son's hand was a mess. The surgeon was having to take longer than anticipated to pin the bones back together, and had to remove more fragments than he initially thought. Combined with a reaction to the anesthetic they initially used, they all were feeling more than a little edgy about the outcome. The only one who had been surprisingly calm through it all was Dean, but John thought that was mainly due to his preoccupation with Ellie.

Ellie hadn't been able to sleep for more than fifteen minutes at a time, and it was starting to show. Mary had thought about taking the little girl home, but was heartbroken over the prospect of breaking her promise to Johnny about being there the whole time. Dean in his nonchalant way suggested that someone get a few things from the house to make her more comfortable while the rest waited for more information. Now though, as he was heading back to the hospital, John had to wonder if he was just imagining things, or if he was really being followed. Deciding that it was best to be safe, he turned suddenly and felt foolish when the old truck kept going straight. 'Must be getting tired,' John thought as he rubbed a hand over his face 'I'm jumping at shadows now.' He still didn't feel too confident until he saw the hospital up ahead and the truck still nowhere in sight.

Dean was worried. It had been too long since their last update, and that meant only one thing in his mind; something went wrong. He couldn't help but wonder if they had to take Johnny's hand after all, and just hadn't gotten around to telling them about it. Trying to keep his nerves under control, he instead concentrated on taking care of Ellie. Her humming was constant, even when her eyes were closed, and she wasn't allowing anyone to touch her at the moment which spoke volumes to Dean; she was feeling very insecure and needed Johnny more than anyone else at the moment. Looking over at his Mom, he could tell that she was getting as nervous as he was. Knowing that he had been annoying the nurses, but not giving a damn, he got up to ask them to put a call into the OR when the surgeon came out looking as if he hadn't slept in days.

John had just walked into the waiting room when he saw the surgeon and he suddenly realized that he was holding his breath like everyone else seemed to be. Glancing over, he saw Ellie watching them with her big blue eyes as if she too had been waiting with baited breath for some news.

"I'll be honest with you folks, Johnny's hand is a mess. I've done everything I can, but I'm not guaranteeing anything at this point. I've put pins in as many bones as I could, but had to resort to putting a small plate to hold some of the more stubborn pieces together. I'm hoping that if we can keep infection out of it he'll get most of the function back in his hand with extensive therapy, but like I said, I can't guarantee the outcome at this point."

"So, he could still lose his hand?" Mary asked, worried that her son could still have another battle to fight before they were done.

"I want to see him in a couple of days, unless he starts to run a fever, then call my office immediately. The best way to make sure that he doesn't have to go back in is if we stay on top of his recovery. He's not to even attempt to move that arm until the swelling has gone down and the risk of infection from the surgery has passed. I know this is a lot to take in, but it's necessary for everyone to understand the severity of his injury. He's going to be in pain, and don't let him convince you otherwise."

Listening to the doctor's instructions, they made sure that they knew what to look for and any side effects of the prescriptions before they felt comfortable with taking Johnny home. Dean knew that his parents were going to be in full hover mode and that his little brother wasn't going to take it well at all. Suddenly he wished his apartment was ready so he and Ellie could have a place to hang out when the butting of heads got too much. Looking over he saw their little princess still watching them as if they might have the answers she sought, too bad they still had no idea what her questions really were.

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Johnny felt like he'd been run over – twice. The surgeon, Dr. Davidson, had told him that it was due to a problem he developed while under anesthesia; apparently he had a reaction and stopped breathing, but was assured that there was nothing to worry about since they caught it in time and rectified the problem. 'Yeah, right… breathing's highly overrated after all.' He thought sourly. He knew that the Winchester's were still there, the nurses had told him repeatedly that they had been bugging them for more frequent updates, but he had no idea what to expect. He couldn't work with his hand like it was, and even though Ellie would still get her checks every month, he had been hoping to save them for her for something special; not support them.

Sighing, he sat on the table still trying to figure out how he was supposed to fasten his jeans; there was no way he was going to ask a nurse no matter how hot some of them were. Finally deciding that he was lucky that he managed to zip them, he left them unbuttoned and allowed his shirt to stay untucked. After all, if anyone objected, they could just go…

"Hey there, you ready to go?" Dean asked, as he peeked around the curtain. He knew that his little brother would be in a bad mood, but by the looks of it, it was worse than he thought. "The Doc already gave us your medicine and appointment, so we can go straight home. By the way, Ellie hasn't really slept yet, and we're hoping that you can help convince her that it's alright to now."

"Uh, yeah… sorry, don't think I can do that." Johnny said but when he saw Dean's shocked face he explained. "She's on this weird internal clock; she never sleeps past eight, no matter when she goes to sleep. Trust me, we've tried."

"Huh… so you're saying that she's going to be up all day." Dean thought about it for a moment, "Well, that won't be too bad, right?" he asked hopefully, but realized quickly by Johnny's laughter that it was going to be a long day.

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Mary was happy that they had finally gotten home after several false starts. Dean had insisted on making sure that his brother was alright before anyone else was allowed to see him. Once they had been given the ok and was allowed in the room, Ellie had accidentally jarred Johnny's hand making him collapse due to the pain, and sending the little girl deeper into her shell to the point that she had tucked herself close and continued to rock until Johnny finally came to and convinced her that he was alright. The doctor however had insisted on more x-rays to ensure that nothing had shifted, then another round of pain meds to ensure that they got him home as comfortable as possible, it had added another two hours to his release time. Between that incident, and John's sudden nervousness while driving, they all were all thankful to pull into the driveway in one piece.

Now though, she had to worry about a certain little girl who was showing that she did indeed have a stubborn streak, and that yes, she was having a very bad day. Trying to get Ellie to change her clothes had ended up with her screaming and sitting so rigid that Mary thought she was going to snap in two. Having seen Johnny sound asleep on the couch, she was surprised when she heard his voice in the doorway.

"Don't worry, Mary, I've got her." Afterwards he calmly laid on the floor in front of her and waited until Ellie looked at him, and then it didn't take long before they both were on the couch staring at the TV, she with a stuffed fox and he with her curled up next to him.

Watching the two lay on the couch, Mary wasn't sure how she felt. She was happy to have her family together, but it still broke her heart that her little boy still couldn't seem to accept them as his family. She had known it was going to be hard, she wasn't a fool, but after the night they all had, it was definitely a sore topic at the moment.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't immediately hear the door bell. It wasn't until John had let a man inside and she heard Johnny talking to them that she realized suddenly that she knew the stranger. "Oh my… it's you! John… he's the one who stole Sammy!"

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Dean could have sworn he had only been gone for half an hour, just long enough to talk to his landlord and check on the progress in his apartment. He knew that he wasn't gone that long, so why did it sound like the whole world had gone mad inside his parents house in the time he'd been gone?

Stepping in the doorway, he wasn't sure what he was witnessing, but he was positive he didn't like it. Dad had some guy pinned to the wall, with Johnny trying to pull him off and Mom trying to convince his little brother that the guy wasn't a friend all while Ellie was frozen to the spot on the couch witnessing everything.

Running over he quickly put his hand on his brother's shoulder, trying to get him to leave their dad alone until he could figure everything out. "Johnny, come on, you don't need to be on your feet."

"Dean, he's trying to kill Bobby!" Johnny said as if it explained everything not bothering to look towards Dean as he continued to try and pull John off his friend. "Let him go! Damn it, I really don't need this today… LET HIM GO NOW!"

John had no idea what was really going on. One moment he was letting a friend of Johnny's inside the house and the next Mary is yelling that it was the man who took their baby from them, and now that very same baby was trying to convince him not to murder the man in front of him. If he hadn't had a long night already, he was sure he would have been able to make sense of the situation, but as it was he could only see the man named Bobby as a threat to his family. As he pulled his fist back to take care of the threat he was suddenly aware of two things. The first was something had grabbed his fist; the second was that Johnny was screaming in pain before he crumpled in a heap on the floor.

Dean was horrified by what just happened. He knew what was about to occur, but he just couldn't seem to respond in time to stop it. As their dad pulled his fist back to hit the stranger in the house, Johnny had stepped up and grabbed the offending fist with his right hand, sending him to the floor in pain. Rushing to his brother, he could tell that it was taking Johnny everything he had not to pass out, but he wasn't sure if it was going to be enough. From what he saw, Johnny had actually grabbed hold of their dad's fist and pulled. Praying that there wasn't more damage, Dean cradled his little brother's hand in his and tried to help him breath through the pain he knew the kid had to be experiencing. "Ok, it's ok, we're here and Dad's not killing the guy. Come on, breathe Johnny, in… out…" it took a few minutes, but finally he got a nod from his brother, but knew that he wasn't doing well when he was actually allowed to help him up off the floor. "Ok, time for you and Mr. Couch to get reacquainted."

Knowing that he had probably just screwed up his chances at keeping his hand, Johnny could only groan when Dean helped him back to the couch. He noticed through his pain that Ellie was rocking and humming with her eyes wide, it definitely wasn't a good sign. After sitting down, he tried to talk to Ellie, but the words just wouldn't come out, and it made him more frustrated. Finally, after letting his little princess know that he'd be alright, and that she was safe, he looked at Bobby and gritted out, "What the hell Bobby?"

The others looked at the other man and wondered the same thing, but waited for him to start talking. When he did, it wasn't anywhere close to what Johnny thought it would be.

"Johnny, It's true…I'm the one who took you out of your nursery when you were a baby, I had a damn good reason, but the one you'd better listen to is why I'm here now."


	18. Chapter 18

AN: Ok, I know it's a little shorter than normal, but I'm hoping you like it anyway... let me know!!!

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At the moment Johnny couldn't give a flying flip why Bobby was in the middle of the Winchester's living room. The only thing that seemed to matter was that Bobby, his and Cade's friend, just confessed to kidnapping and turning these people's life upside down.

"Bobby, I don't give a rat's ass, get out!" Johnny said, feeling as if his hand was ripped apart from the inside out, and now that he could kind of think again, he realized that it probably was. Seeing that everyone was staring at him in shock, he clarified. "I mean it! You walk in here as if you're a friend and then talk about having a reason for messing with these people like that? What could you possibly say to make it right?"

"Damn it, the demon that was after you that night is still on the loose and there are some crazy people out there hoping you'll go nuts so they have an excuse to kill you too!" Bobby yelled. Normally, he'd try to talk someone to his line of reason, but the way things have been going, he really didn't think he had that much time. Seeing the shocked look on the family's faces, Bobby sighed and looked at Mary. "You know as well as I do what the thing was. I know that everyone told you that it was stress, or you were dreaming, or some other bunch of crap, but I'm telling you… it was a demon, it came after your boy and I have no idea what it would have done if I hadn't taken him and run."

The only sound in the room was Ellie's humming, and it had gotten more persistent as Bobby got louder. Johnny had tried to ignore his friend and concentrate on the little girl next to him, but he quickly came to the understanding that he couldn't give either the attention they wanted. Looking at Dean he saw that he was being scrutinized, and normally that would make his skin crawl, but all he could think of at that moment was how Dean would make everything all right.

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Waking up in a hospital bed for the second time that day was not what Johnny had on his list of things to do, but then again when had anything ever worked out the way he thought they would. Groaning, he looked around and saw that he was actually in recovery again, and wasn't _that_ a kick in the teeth.

"Well hello Mr. Doe, we were wondering if you'd be waking up soon. The doctor wanted to make sure you could answer some questions before we moved you to your room. I'm Marlee by the way, and I've been assigned as your nurse on the Orthopedics floor for the next couple of days. So, how are you feeling?"

Johnny looked at the small tiny woman and had to wonder how anyone her size could move patients around. Not knowing where that thought came from, he continued to watch her until he realized that she really wanted to know how he was feeling. "Uh… confused?"

Smiling, Marlee nodded, "I bet so. Your family rushed you in saying that you broke up a fight without thinking, and apparently your body just couldn't handle that much trauma in such a short amount of time."

"Huh…guess I'm not Superman after all." He quipped, trying hard to pull his thoughts together. "Uh, do you know about Ellie? Is she with them?" he asked, trying to get out of bed, but noticing that his body didn't want to respond. Looking at his nurse he was expecting a look of cruel satisfaction, but instead saw sympathy while she patted his shoulder.

"Yes, Ellie's with your family, they waited awhile here with her, but your mother took her home. All of them want you to rest, but they made me promise to tell you that the rest of them were waiting in your room for you so to… let's see… 'calm your scrawny ass down'… yeah, I think that was it." Marlee smiled, that wasn't the only thing that the colorful family had said, but somehow she didn't think that he needed to hear how the father had told the doctor to 'do the job right, or else!' while his brother stood there looking as if he was about to rip someone apart. "You know, they sure love you a lot."

Smiling, Johnny nodded. "Uh, I don't mean to sound whiny, but why can't I move like I want?"

"Muscle relaxer and neuroblockers, along with the remnants of the anesthetic. I know you're having a hard time thinking at the moment, and let me tell you, you're not sounding as coherent as you think, but if you let this stuff do its job, you won't feel a thing for awhile. The doctor wants to make sure you're not having any adverse effects with it before moving you into your room. Honestly, I'm surprised you stayed awake this long, but then again, I have a feeling you've seen some action in your life. Now, close your eyes, and the next time you open them, you'll be with your family."

Johnny watched the nurse take his vitals again before his eyelids decided they had enough and closed on their own.

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Dean was ready to tear into someone. They had been more than patient (sort of), had even been nice (for awhile), but it wasn't getting them any information on how his brother was doing. The last they heard was the doctor was going to make sure that Johnny didn't feel what they had done to him and it was going to knock him on his ass for the next couple of days. They had no idea if the second surgery was a success, only that he was doing well in recovery and the doc was guardedly optimistic; whatever that meant. The previous surgery had taken ten hours, but this one had taken a lot longer due to having to piece the tendons and ligaments back together after a couple of the pins sheared through the bone and helped to shred the tissues inside.

Sighing, Dean wanted to go back into recovery and find out exactly what it was that the doctors did to his little brother, because the waiting was killing him. Then again, he didn't know if he'd be able to see Johnny in pain again. The moments before he had passed out, Johnny had looked at him with so much agony but with so much trust that it almost broke him. It had thrown him back to the days when he would play with Sammy and get him to smile when he fussed for everyone else.

Shaking his head, he turned to the door just as an orderly and a nurse started to wheel his brother's bed in through the door. 'Oh God… he looks awful.' Dean thought as he looked at Johnny's pale face. "Wha… he…" he couldn't get his words to pull together, and that wasn't helping his state of mind.

"Don't worry, he's doing as well as can be expected. He stayed awake a little too long, and it caught up with him. Now, Dean, you can stay here for as long as you want, but I suggest that you get a certain little girl up here as soon as he starts to stir again."

Looking at the nurse, Dean understood, the first thing that Johnny asked for was Ellie. "He probably didn't even ask about the surgery did he?"

Marlee laughed, "You know your brother don't you. Not a peep about his hand; more worried about that little girl and why he couldn't move to get out of bed."

After getting the bed situated and the equipment set up, both the orderly and Nurse Marlee left Dean to watch over a still unconscious Johnny. "Hey little brother, you know, Dad just ran down for some coffee and will be back in no time. You gave us a scare at the house. Don't you know never try to stop a train… or a Marine?" Dean joked, trying to let Johnny know that he wasn't alone. He heard their dad walk in and smelled the coffee, but neither mattered at the moment. While he was talking, he couldn't stop looking at his brother's hand, it was still there; wrapped up and propped on pillows Johnny's arm looked twice its normal size, but at least it was still there.

"Hey son, how's he doing?" John asked, as he walked in the room. At first he was worried that the longer wait meant bad news, but he had followed Dean's eyes and was relieved to find his youngest son whole.

"I think I can answer that Mr. Winchester." Dr. Davidson said as he walked in the room. "He has quite a bit of swelling, but that's understandable. His vitals are steady and strong, and so far there is no sign of infection. We have him on enough drugs to keep him more than just a little out of it for the next couple of days, and then we can determine when he can be released."

John looked at Dean and knew what he was thinking. "So, he won't wake up for a couple of days?" he asked, not sure if he liked that.

Dr. Davidson shook his head, "Actually, he'll be in and out, but don't expect too much coherency; the medicine we have him on can cause confusion, as well as slurred speech. We'll continue to monitor him closely to make sure that he doesn't have any complications."

Dean stared at the doctor in shock, "Wait, you don't think that not being able to communicate with anyone is a complication? Do you have any idea what this is going to do to him?" looking over at his dad he continued, "Dad, you know that it was only because he passed out that we got him here. There is no way that we're going to get him to let us know if something's wrong later if he can't tell us now!"

Nodding, John had to agree. "There has to be some other way. You have no idea what my boy has already overcome, and the one thing that got him through it all was his independence. You really need to figure something else out."

Not liking how this was going, Dr. Davidson looked over the test results, as well as his patient's vital signs. "I tell you what; let me continue this line of treatment for the next twelve hours to see how he responds. If he shows any signs of distress, I'll switch him over to some other means of treatment; I just want to give his body a head start."

Not liking it, but knowing that this compromise was better than nothing, they agreed and noted the time on the clock both Winchester's knowing that the doctor would be switching things around pretty soon.


	19. Chapter 19

Mary had been out of sorts since leaving the hospital. She couldn't blame Ellie though, because the sweet girl was well and truly exhausted. Not that she could blame her, it had been a harrowing couple of days, but now that she sat there and watched Ellie sleep with the same bear that her Sammy had played with as a baby, Mary couldn't hold back the tears.

She remembered the night that Sammy had been taken, and the man Bobby was right, she had been told that she had imagined what she saw; the police had even gone so far as to say that she had made it up to allow her accomplice to get away. If it hadn't been for John's unwavering support as well as their friends Mike and his wife Katie, she would have given into her grief and the pressure of the people of town that she had something to do with it. Now though, all she could think about was what Bobby had said; some people thought that her little boy needed to be killed. That did not sit well with her; not well at all.

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John had left for more coffee, and the last thing that he needed was to see the man responsible for turning his family inside out; but there he was anyway, as if nothing was wrong, as if he hadn't just told them that someone wanted to kill their baby.

"What the hell do you want?" he growled, knowing that the only reason why he hadn't ripped the man apart was because that would lead him to jail and away from his family; away from his youngest son.

Bobby knew that he was lucky to be alive much less standing there, but he needed to get the message across; Johnny wasn't safe. "Look, I didn't come here to make trouble; I came here to warn you. These people are just a hair away from being sociopaths and feel that their one mission in life is to keep normal people like you safe from the real evils of the world. I've been trying to convince these people that nothing happened that night; that I was there in time to stop it, but some aren't listening."

Looking at the man in front of him, John fought the urge to strangle him; it was an impulse that was getting harder to control. "Fine, you delivered your message. Answer me this, why didn't you bring him back if you thought this _'demon'_ hadn't done anything to Sammy?"

Knowing that the inflection on the word demon meant that he was going to have a hard time convincing the stubborn ass, Bobby could only answer honestly. "He should have been brought back, I admit it. That's something I wish I had made sure of, but I didn't. I left him in what I thought were good hands, and the next I hear there's a hunter dead and your boy's in the hospital as a baby doe. I knew that I couldn't claim paternity, and coming to you at that time would have opened the door to way to many questions that didn't need to be asked."

The sound echoed in the cafeteria and gave John a small sense of satisfaction. Looking at Bobby, John rubbed his knuckles as he spoke. "You come near my family again, I'll kill you. You can tell your friends the same, anyone comes near my boys again, I won't hesitate."

Nodding, Bobby knew that he had definitely wore out his welcome. "Fine. One more thing though. I'm having Cade's truck and some of the boys' stuff delivered by a friend of mine. I'll let him know he's not welcome, so don't shoot him."

Watching the man walk off left John feeling uneasy, as if things weren't as settled as he hoped they were. Seeing that he had been gone too long, he walked over and after smoothing things with one of the security guards, bought the coffee and rushed back up to Johnny's room; hoping that nothing had gone wrong in the time he was gone.

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Dean had just finished talking to his mom and was promised that as soon as Ellie woke up and had something to eat that they both would be there, which was something he could tell Johnny considering he was starting to wake up. "Hey bro, you going to wake up or play possum some more?" he asked watching as Johnny's eyes shifted underneath his eyelids. Finally a slight blinking, and a pair of unfocused eyes searched, before locking onto his, then the remnants of the question he was dreading.

"E'y?"

'Damn,' Dean thought 'what the hell did they put you on bro?' Making sure to look at Johnny straight on, Dean answered, "Ellie's fine, she's home with mom taking a nap. As soon as she wakes up, they'll be here."

Confused, Johnny started to shake his head before yelling, "E'y!" Causing Dean to worry that his brother was about to hurt himself. Reaching over, he pushed the nurse call button and prayed that Marlee would get there soon.

John walked into what he could only compare to one of his nightmares. Johnny was screaming for what he could only assume was for Ellie, and trying as much as possible to move out of bed. Seeing that Dean was trying to calm his brother down, John rushed over to the other side of the bed to try and help when a voice behind him made him feel somewhat relieved.

"Don't tell me that the doctor still has this boy on the heavy stuff." Marlee stated, clearly expressing her disapproval. "Alright, I need some room here." She told John as she walked over and took Johnny's face in her hands. "Johnny, calm down! You're fine, your little girl is fine, and if you behave yourself I'll go toe to toe with the doc to get you off some of these drugs. Ok?"

Johnny was in a fog and Ellie wasn't there. He knew that Dean was and that meant that Ellie should be too. What if something happened and they hadn't told him? He had to see her, had to know she was safe. Safe from what? Just… safe, that's all that mattered. She was all that mattered! Seeing someone new made him even more confused, but she was promising something… less drugs… he was on drugs? No! He hadn't been on drugs since Ellie was born, he hadn't needed them… she was his hope – his life! An answer? This person needed an answer, but what? Anything… he'd do anything to get Ellie back… ANYTHING!

Seeing the silent agreement in Johnny's eyes, Marlee smiled then nodded. "Ok, I'll take care of my end, you just go back to sleep for a little while." She said gently, watching as his eyes started to drift close. Looking back to the other Winchester's she spoke firmly, "I wasn't joking, get Ellie up here! He's not going to take kindly to waking up again and her not being here!"

"She'll be here after she wakes up. Mom said she was exhausted and…"

"… and we don't have an extra bed right here next to her daddy? I don't care if you have to build a transporter and beam her here… just do it!"

Both John and Dean watched as Marlee marched out the door muttering about finding a jackass of a doctor before she turned the corner out of sight. "Uh son," John said stunned, "I think we need to call your Mom."

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Bobby really hated how things had gone down with the Winchester's, but it was water under the bridge now. If he was going to make sure that the boy known by him and others as Johnny Doe was safe from the more fanatical members of the hunting community, he was going to have to bring in some reinforcements. Picking up his phone, he dialed a number and waited for the call to connect.

"_Damn Bobby, give me a break man, I'm already on my way. What else do you want?"_

"How about you shut your trap and tell me how much longer until you get here?" the older hunter snapped back.

"_I'm a couple hours out at the latest. Why, you got a hot date?"_

"No smartass, but we do have a situation. Winchester's not listening and the kid isn't up to taking care of himself."

There was a pause on the other end, then finally, _"Damn, that bad? I'll be there as soon as I can. Pick me up at their place."_

After Bobby cut the call he couldn't help but wonder if he and Caleb would be enough to keep the others at bay long enough for the situation to calm down so that Johnny could live his life in whatever way he chose. That was the whole problem with some of the other hunters' theories; they thought that a person's destiny was set in stone instead of what the person made of it. Not much of a believer in fate himself, he was satisfied with letting people carve out their own futures and leave the rest of the debate to the philosopher's.

Knowing he had at least another hour, he pulled his truck over and settled in for a nap, hoping that the sound of a baby's terrified cry wouldn't wake him this time.

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Mary knew that she had to hurry as soon as she talked to Dean again, however trying to convince Ellie had been another story; until she mentioned Johnny, then everything changed. Ellie had stopped everything and with her wide blue eyes seemingly still staring off into space, she whispered in awe, "Johnny", then let Mary guide her into the car and to the hospital. She wouldn't have thought that she would have ever been thankful to walking into a hospital room, but today she was.

They hadn't made it in the door before she heard Johnny's yells for Ellie, which set off a chain reaction in the little girl that could have bordered on complete panic. Rushing Ellie into the room, it was Dean who had taken the initiative and while ignoring Ellie's screams at being picked up, rushed her over and laid her next to Johnny.

"See, she's fine Johnny… calm down, she's right here… right here…" Dean soothed, trying to break through whatever panic was in his brother's mind at the moment.

It took a few moments, but when Ellie placed her head on Johnny's chest and sighed his name, Johnny calmed down and looked down to see his little girl right there next to him. Sighing, he tried to get his arm to cooperate, but wasn't having much luck. It was Dean who helped him place his left arm around Ellie, and he was extremely grateful for the assistance. Lying there he tried to remember why he was there, but the only thing that was crossing his mind was the word drugs, sending a wave of confusion through him once again.

"I see you took my advice." Marlee said as she walked in the room and to Johnny's bedside. "Alright young man, I need you to pay attention. When you start to feel pain, you let me know immediately. Don't try and play brave, we can keep the pain under control only if you're honest with me and we don't waste time. Understand? Good!" Looking over at Ellie she smiled, "Well I can see why you were so insistent on having her here, she's a real doll. Now, the meds you're on are supposed to wear off in another couple of hours, but I figure you'll be ahead of the curve, so I'll be expecting a call from you in no later than an hour. If I don't, I know that you're too stubborn to know what's best for you and will let that jackass put you under again, got it?" she asked, then waited for some sign that Johnny understood. "Uh huh… well, I guess that means that it's up to you folks to let me know when he started to get uncomfortable. Don't let me down now."

Mary watched in awe as the small nurse had her men dumbstruck. 'Huh' she thought, wondering if the woman made housecalls.

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Dr. Davidson wasn't scared of much, he'd seen too much in his life to give into such a unpredictable emotion, but when Nurse Marlee got agitated, she got anyone within close proximity shaking in their shoes. So when she had marched up to him earlier in the day he had known that he was in trouble, and no matter how much he had tried to explain his reasoning, she had finally shut him up with: "you might have gone to some fancy school, but I've forgotten more medicine than you'll ever know!" What was scary was… she was right! She may not look old, but he knew for a fact that she had hit Medicare eligibility ten years ago, and she was still going strong. So when she said something, people listened and learned.

Now he was glad he had. He had walked into Johnny Doe's room expecting to see someone climbing the walls in agony with his family demanding that he do something. Instead what he saw was a young man talking calmly to a little girl by his side, with his family visiting around him. Hating to disturb the peaceful scene, but needing to check on his patient, he cleared his throat and walked in the rest of the way.

"Hey doc! Come on in, Johnny was just telling us that he was starting to feel his arm again so we were going to call in Marlee to help." Dean said, looking at the doctor warily.

Smiling, Dr. Davidson knew that he had inadvertently put that look on the Winchester's faces, and he wanted to assure them all his intentions. "I just wanted to check on Johnny's arm and make sure that he was responding to the new pain meds."

Mary rolled her eyes before responding, "In other words you weren't sure Marlee's idea would work, so you thought you'd see if she needed you to bale her out."

John smirked and looked at the doctor wondering what he'd say to that. Seeing that the other man had wisely kept his mouth shut, he looked at Dean and silently agreed with his oldest son. _'Go Mom!'_

Johnny knew that the doctor had a job to do, and he wished it would hurry up. He had actually been having a nice visit with everyone and Ellie was actually having a pretty good day. Seeing that the doctor was hesitant to check his hand with Ellie watching, he whispered for her to close her eyes.

After checking the swelling, and asking Johnny some questions, Dr. Davidson nodded at what he saw. "Alright, you still have quite a lot of swelling, and I want to keep you for another day to ensure that your pain is manageable and that you don't develop a Staph infection before we send you home. This time I advise that you don't try to break up anymore fights until you have gotten out of Physical Therapy."

Shocked, Dean looked at the doctor, "That's it? You mean he could go home tomorrow? Shouldn't he stay longer? I mean, what if something happens?" He knew he sounded paranoid, but this was the second time that Johnny had gone in for surgery on the same hand; he was allowed to be paranoid.

"The type of medicine that he's getting through his IV, he can get in pill form, and as long as he follows directions he should be fine. Now I have to ask, is there any reason why you might be hesitant to taking these medicines at home?" Dr. Davidson asked more as a precaution, but didn't really expect a positive answer.

"Honestly? Yeah… uh," Johnny looked around and could see the concern on everyone's faces. "look, I've been clean since Ellie was born, but there was awhile that if it could be popped, huffed, smoked or even occasionally snorted, I was doing it." He waited for a response, any response, but it never came. Instead everyone looked at him in shock. "Uh, I barely take aspirin anymore, but you asked me to be honest, and I am."

Dr. Davidson stood there and looked at the little girl lying next to Johnny. "Then I guess we're all grateful that Ellie was born." He said quietly doing the math in his head and feeling saddened by what he came up with, "Do you feel that you'll have a problem with this, or are you just wanting to make sure that we know about the possibility?"

Sighing, Johnny shrugged, "I guess I just wanted to make sure you knew."

The room was still silent after the doctor left, no one knowing what to say about what had been revealed. Ellie had drifted off again, and Marlee had come and gone with medicine, leaving the four people still trying to sort out their thoughts.

Mary, John and Dean stood there mulling everything over in their minds. They knew that they hadn't been told everything about Johnny's life, and to be honest they weren't sure if something like that would actually come up in an investigation, but now they were faced with the blatant truth… Johnny had been through more than they thought; and it hurt.

Johnny knew that this was the deal breaker. Either the Winchester's still accepted him, or they cut their losses. He knew that it was one thing to accept someone back in the family after everything that they had already assumed, but it would be totally different to do so after finding out for certain. Already thinking ahead, he knew how much he had in the bank, and how much he was owed; he and Ellie would be fine money wise, but there might be some difficulty with everyday things. Taking the silence as a form of rejection, he was surprised when he heard Dean's voice.

"I guess that's just one more reason why we can love Ellie, huh?"


	20. Chapter 20

Johnny had listened to the doctor's instructions carefully and paid especially close attention to the directions for the prescriptions, and then he made sure to talk to Marlee about everything as well. Having been told about the dangers of each drug, but also the little 'shortcuts' in dosing, he knew that he'd be able to control any pain he felt without falling into the trap of addiction. Marlee gave him her numbers with the strict instructions to call at any time if he even suspected the regiment they devised wasn't working, and to call as soon as he realized he didn't have to take as much as directed.

Dean made sure to gather up everything and have it ready to go for when the doctor handed over the release papers. He knew that his brother was going to have a tough time, but he was determined to be there every step of the way. Knowing that he had been lucky enough that he was able to take a few days off without being penalized, but he'd have to go back tomorrow; he was relieved to know that Johnny and Ellie would still be at the house where everyone could take care of them. Now he just had to find a way to convince his little brother that it was ok to be looked after.

John and Mary had debated about moving Johnny into Dean's room so there would be less chance of disturbing his healing arm. However, since they hadn't been able to convince Johnny to let Ellie sleep in the next bed, they came to the conclusion that they needed to leave things as they were.

Bobby and Caleb had parked around the corner of the Winchester's house and watched the Impala pull into the driveway and its occupants start to unload. It was obvious that Johnny was still under the weather, but the family was rallying around him. Bobby looked at Caleb and saw the concern there.

"So, what do you think?" he asked the other hunter.

"I'm thinking that this kid's plate is overflowing, and we need to make sure no one else adds more to it."

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Having been home for about two hours, Mary was expecting something… else? She had no idea what to expect, but from the raised voices upstairs it was obvious that her peaceful household could easily turn into a war zone and she had no idea why. Having convinced John that everyone would be ok while he ran over to the shop to check on things, she was trying to make sense of Johnny's med schedule; she couldn't make figure out what was written. He had asked her to make a chart so even if he was 'on the really good stuff' he wouldn't be able to 'screw it up' but now she was wondering if she'd be the one messing the whole system up instead.

Hearing heavy footsteps coming down the stairs she could only assume that it was Dean and he was upset. Looking up as he walked into the dining room she could tell that she was right, he was.

"Hey Sweetheart, what's wrong?" she asked, putting the medicine to the side for the moment.

Dean was pacing the length of the dining room and could barely get the words out. "Stubborn… idiot… just helping… see if I… damn it!"

Mary was still trying to figure out what he was talking about when Johnny and Ellie walked in. Seeing that whatever happened had put a strain on her youngest, she was about to jump into both of them for being so careless when Johnny spoke first.

"Look, Dean, I appreciate the offer, I really do. But do you think that you'd let anyone try and touch _your_ pants if positions were reversed?"

Swinging around to face Johnny, Dean exclaimed, "DUDE! You needed to go to the freakin' bathroom! You can't fasten your…"

Seeing what grabbed Dean's attention, Mary had to laugh. "Looks like he's already thought it through Dean so give him a break." She said as she looked at the pair of sweatpants that Johnny had somehow managed to change into. "As for you young man, you need to allow us to help you more, understand?" she asked while noticing the smug look on Dean's face, and Johnny rolling his eyes in response.

"Fine, I'll try, but I'm not promising anything." Johnny said as he sat down and allowed Ellie to climb in his lap. "Any luck?" he asked, motioning to the medicine bottles in front of her.

Distracted she shook her head, "Not really, your dad will probably have to deal with this… he's so much…" Her words caught up with her and she looked up suddenly to see what his reaction was. "Johnny, I'm…"

"It's ok, I get it. Look, if it's alright with everyone, I think I'm going to lie down in the living room and let Ellie watch a movie."

Nodding their agreement, both Dean and Mary watched as the two youngest members of their family walked away. "Oh Dean, what have I done?" Mary asked, thinking that she had pushed too much.

Smiling, Dean shook his head. "Nothing Mom, you're fine. He's tired and he's still trying to get used to the idea of a whole other family here waiting for him, that's all."

Still worried, Mary promised herself that she and Johnny would talk about it after everyone else was asleep; she couldn't mess this up, she just couldn't.

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John had been on the phone to the insurance company for over an hour and wasn't getting anywhere. Somehow they got it in their head that since Johnny re-injured his hand, that it they wouldn't have to pay for it. It hadn't made sense to him when they first explained it, and it still doesn't make sense. Hanging up the phone, he knew that tomorrow he'd be back on the phone again arguing with someone else.

"Hey John, how's Johnny doing?" Mike asked knowing just by the look on his friend's face that things weren't going according to plan.

John looked at his friend and knew that he could spin a tale or tell the truth. "Couldn't be better."

Mike smirked as he shook his head. "Ok, well, look if you guys need anything make sure to let us know."

Nodding, John could only watch Mike walk back out into the garage, not certain what to do next. Finally, he picked up the phone and called a familiar number.

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Dean needed something to do, but he also didn't want to leave his brother and Ellie. Watching the little girl he knew that she and Johnny had a special bond, but he hoped that one day she would include him in her elite group. Noticing the time, it occurred to him that it could be close to time for Johnny's meds, and no one would know.

Seeing the bottles on the dining room table, he looked over the instructions as well as Marlee's notes and he saw what she had done. To make sure that he had a constant supply of pain relief, she formed a way to stagger the different medicines for optimal effect. He had to admire her for thinking about it, and so took out a piece of paper and made out his own schedule based on what he remembered Johnny had already taken at the hospital. Looking at what he had listed, he saw that his brother wasn't due another dose for anything for another half hour; giving him a sense that he hadn't let his brother down already.

"Oh good, you were able to figure it out. This is good Dean, now just need to make sure we follow it." When she saw the look on her face she realized what she said. "I didn't mean it like that… of course we'll follow it, it's just a busy family like ours can loose track of what we're doing easily."

"Mom, I know that there's a lot going on right now, but if you're not sure that you can keep him on this schedule, say so; I'll go to the academy after his hand's better."

"Like hell!" a voice in the doorway yelled, causing both Mary and Dean to turn around and face a very upset Johnny. "Look, I get that you want to help, and I appreciate it… I really do, but you need to chill out. I'm not dying, and I'm not a total cripple so quit acting as if I have to be supervised 24/7!"

Dean was shocked at what he heard; he hadn't meant that Johnny couldn't take care of himself or Ellie, just that extra assistance was probably necessary for a little while. Not sure what to do or say, he looked at his mom and noticed the same surprised look on her face. When they both turned their attention back to Johnny they noticed his confused expression and were about to ask about it.

"Damn, I'm sorry… uh, could you call Marlee for me? She said to call her if anything strange happened, and I think this would qualify." Johnny said quietly, unnerved by his outburst. He knew that Dean and Mary only wanted to help, and he also knew realistically that if he had to take care of Ellie by himself at the moment it would be more than a little difficult.

Mary quickly got through to Marlee and explained what happened, then listened intently as the other woman gave her opinion of what occurred. "Ok… yes, I can pick it up right now… thank you so much… oh that would be wonderful… yes, see you then."

Curious, Dean listened to his mom as he watched his brother. Something had just happened, and he wanted to know what. Finally, he got an answer, and it wasn't one he was expecting.

"Marlee suspects that the Valium they gave him earlier caused the outburst, and she's going to have another prescription called into the pharmacy to be given only if needed."

Watching Johnny's reaction, Dean noticed a slight acceptance from his little brother and that bothered him. "So why didn't they figure it out before now?"

"Because it was the first time they gave it to me. They probably thought that any reactions would have shown up before we left." Johnny said not wanting to look at Dean, he felt like he had let the other man down somehow.

Walking back in with her purse, Mary nodded in agreement. "That's exactly what she said. Now I'll be back in a little while, and then I need to start dinner. Oh, by the way, Marlee's coming over to check on you and will be staying to eat with us, so both of you need to be on your best behavior."

Johnny and Dean looked at each other in shock. When _weren't_ they on their best behavior?

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AN: Hope you enjoyed... let me know! 


	21. Chapter 21

AN: Hope everyone likes this chapter... I'll try and update soon. Thanks again to Sammygirl1963 for helping to keep my sanity intact.

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Dinner had mostly gone off without a hitch. Mary had kept both Dean and Sam in her sights, silently warning them to behave themselves; then tried hard not to laugh at their seemingly innocent expressions. John and Marlee had started about the construction on the other side of town and how much of a waste it was seeing as how the older areas needed revitalized instead of ignored. Ellie had sat mostly still, as if listening, and ate when Sam fed her something; as if she was so intent on what she was doing she couldn't be bothered with mundane things like eating. 

Mary had to reflect, as she put the last glass in the dishwasher, on how quick an evening could go wrong. Thinking about it, she knew that she had put too much pressure on everyone to at least act like they knew how to behave when guests were present; she just hadn't expected a total meltdown that would spiral into unbridled chaos by dessert. Wiping down the counters she couldn't blame Ellie, she probably would have had a fit too if people wouldn't have left her alone, however the aftermath was just too fresh in her mind no matter how much she tried to push it away.

"I'm really sorry for what happened Mary; I'll pay for a new set of dishes." Johnny said from the doorway looking as if he was drained in more ways than one.

Shaking her head, Mary motioned for him to sit at the small kitchen table. "No Johnny, I should be apologizing to you. I wasn't thinking when I invited Marlee over, I had no idea that Ellie would react that way."

Johnny smiled slightly, "Honestly, neither did I. I guess she sensed something was off all day and it had been building. I should have picked up on it." He couldn't help but blame himself, he knew Ellie's moods better than anyone, even Cade most days, but this had seemed to come out of left field and it worried him. Thinking about what happened; he tried to piece together what had happened so they could avoid it from happening again.

_John and Marlee were having such a great time talking about the new developments in town and how it was a shame that they didn't spend that money revitalizing areas instead of building new ones. Dean kept motioning to Mary that she needed to watch out, that Marlee was moving in on her territory; which had actually made Johnny snicker and Mary roll her eyes. Ellie had been quiet, intently listening in that special way of hers that always amazed those around her of the possibilities that were truly going through her mind at that moment._

_Mary walked back into the dining room with dessert in one hand and a coffee pot in the other, determined to make the evening last as long as possible. Marlee had come over to check on Johnny, but would be leaving as a friend, and Mary felt strangely proud of that; getting the impression that the nurse didn't make friends often but the ones she had she kept, she kept close. Watching her family at the table brought a smile to her face, Dean and Johnny were trying to get Ellie to smile, and John and Marlee were still discussing local politics, so everything was right with the world._

_Putting the small cake down in the center of the table, she had turned to get a couple of coffee cups when she heard Marlee behind her._

"_Oh what a wonderful cake Mary! You know, I never could get the knack of decorating the darn things, so often I'd just pour the icing over it and served it as is." Marlee joked, reaching for plate to get a better look at the flowers that Mary had decorated onto the small desert._

_Gathering three coffee cups in one hand and still holding the coffee pot with the other, she did what came naturally, not expecting what would happen. "Marlee, would you be willing to cut the cake?"_

_Agreeing good-naturedly, Marlee made the first slice through a particularly bright pink and yellow flower when they heard a scream from Ellie and then plates crashing to the floor. At first surprised, no one reacted until the third plate crashed onto the ground and Ellie's screams had reached a new level. Johnny reached over, and wrapped his arms around her pulling her back from the table, but not before her legs kicked out and caused the table cloth to shift everything suddenly including the cup of hot coffee that Mary had just poured for John. John jumped up trying to keep the coffee from burning his lap, while Mary put the coffee pot down to try and help with Ellie. Dean was trying to help Johnny because of the sore arm, but wasn't having any success and instead got kicked in the chest for his efforts. Finally able to pull Ellie back a little further while continuing to talk to her, Johnny thought the worst had past, until she somehow managed to kick out one last time, sending the cake straight into Marlee._

"The only thing I can think of is that she thought the cake was too pretty to cut." Johnny said, exhausted from the whole ordeal as well as trying to get Ellie cleaned up afterwards. It had taken a lot longer than normal, but he had managed to get her cleaned up and ready for bed, making sure she had her teddy bear before she fell asleep.

Mary thought about it, and smiled. "Well, I do have to admit it was one of my better ones."

Laughing, Johnny couldn't believe how wonderful she was being about everything. He knew that John had been upset, and he had every right to be; Johnny just didn't know how to make everything right. Suddenly, a thought jumped back in his mind and he knew what he needed to do. "I think it's time for me and Ellie to find our own place."

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Dean had found his dad outside nursing a beer, and he couldn't really blame him. Hurricane Ellie had come and gone, but they were all still dealing with the aftermath. He had watched Johnny struggle to get the little girl ready for bed, and it broke his heart to see his baby brother look so upset, but there was nothing that he could do; Ellie had made her choice, it was Johnny or nobody.

"Hey Dad, you alright?" Dean asked, taking over the spot next to him.

Nodding, John continued to look out into the yard. It took a moment before he could speak, and when he did Dean knew that it was taking a lot to keep him from crying. "She's not getting any better is she? I mean, I know she has problems, but I thought that she might improve being close to us; instead I think we've made her worse."

Shocked, Dean could only look at his dad and wonder what was really going on. "Dad, she and Johnny haven't been here long enough to decide that. Look, it was an odd situation, and it's not that Ellie's a bad kid…"

"God Dean I know that! It's just… we just got Sammy back, and now what if he sees this as sign that they need to leave? I don't want that, your mother doesn't want that. How do we convince him that he needs to stay here so we can help, when we keep putting them in situations that seem to make matters worse?" John asked hoping for something to come to him to keep his youngest and their normally sweet little princess home with them.

Seeing the struggle, Dean sighed. "Dad, you know he's going to move out one of these days, we just have to hope that he stays close. As far as Ellie goes, I'll be honest with you… that was the worst fit I've seen from her, but I also know that something had to have triggered it. So how about we figure out what it was so we can find a way to avoid it in the future."

"You're right son; we just need to make sure that they both know we're here for them no matter what." John said with a smile, and then he turned to Dean. "So Dean, how does it feel to get your butt kicked by a little girl?"

"Ha Ha old man, very funny."

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Mary was horrified of the prospect of Johnny and Ellie being out on their own; especially will Johnny still healing. In fact the idea made her physically ill. "NO! Johnny, this is a one time incident, you know that, and I'm sure we can figure out how to keep it from happening again…"

Johnny knew that it was hard to hear, but he also knew that the strain that he and Ellie were putting on them was starting to get to them; no matter how much they denied it. "I know we can, but it's not fair to you and John to have to deal with it. We can find a cheap apartment somewhere, and until my arm is healed, we'll be close."

"No, it's not a good idea, you aren't up for it, we don't want you to leave, and… and… we're not going to let you!" Mary said firmly, looking at her son straight in the eyes daring him to contradict her.

Momentarily stunned, Johnny had no answer for that at the moment, but then he started to get angry. "You're saying _no_? I'm not two, and if you think you can keep me and Ellie a prisoner here then you have another thing coming lady!" he said as he jumped up and rushed up the stairs, determined to grab Ellie and go. He had no idea why he had a sudden sense of panic, but he knew that they had to go; _now_!

Mary sat there a moment, until it dawned on her what it sounded like she said and then she knew she was going to need help. Running to the door, she looked at both John and Dean and quickly told them what happened as they started towards the stairs. It didn't take long before all three of them were at the door to Sammy's room and what they saw shocked them.

Johnny was holding a still sleeping Ellie close with a backpack already filled and on his shoulder. That in itself wasn't the problem; it was the items in the room that were flying around as if they themselves were alive.

"Get out of the way!" Johnny ground out seeing them blocking the way. Normally he could stay calm in any situation, but right now he was feeling more out of control than he had in a very long time and it scared him, which fed the loss of control.

Dean wasn't sure what he was seeing, but he knew that this couldn't be a good thing. Looking back at his parents he knew that they weren't going to be much help at the moment, so taking a deep breath he walked into the room and tried to dodge as many objects as he could. "Ok Johnny, how about we talk about this? Mom didn't mean that you _couldn't_ leave, just that you shouldn't and we'd all miss you and Ellie being around. So how about we just call it a night and we can discuss this in the morning when we're all a little… uh, calmer?"

Smirking, Johnny couldn't help but feel that he'd never be calm again in his life. It was as if every cell in his body was jumping around, and he had no idea why. He remembered the last time it was this bad, but that couldn't be it; these people weren't like that. So what was it? Looking at Dean he could only say, "Move" hoping to get the point across that he wanted, no _needed_ out.

Shaking his head, Dean's only response was, "No". He knew deep down that if his little brother left right now, they'd never see him again, and not by his own choice either. Dean didn't know how he knew it, but he knew not to ignore his gut instinct.

Any other conversation was cut off by sounds of a struggle outside, causing everyone's concentration to suddenly shift to the window. John recognized the man Bobby, but had no idea who the other three men were but it looked like two of them were getting the crap kicked out of them.

"Ah damn! Mary, can you take Ellie?" Johnny asked, already handing his precious burden to her as he rushed to the door with Dean close behind.

Outside, Bobby and Caleb had caught up to two hunters who had been trying to make a name for themselves for the last couple of years, but had only managed to make themselves look incompetent in the process. It hadn't taken long for Bobby to get Craggen under control and Caleb was still working on the other guy Miller when they realized that they were making enough noise to wake the dead, and that didn't sit too well with any of them. They didn't think that it could get any worse until they saw Johnny practically jumping out of the house towards them; and he wasn't in a good mood.

"Did you bring them here? Well, did you Bobby?" Johnny asked, needing to know just which hunter to rip apart first. These were the same hunter's that threatened the Winchesters, that threatened Mary, and he was going to make sure they paid.

Bobby knew that he was in trouble, after all he was supposed to have left and now there were more hunters in the area; it didn't look good. "No Johnny, I didn't bring these two igits and Caleb was more than willing to help keep morons like these off your ass."

"Hey Johnny, how you been?" Caleb asked calmly as if a major storm wasn't brewing in the kid at the moment.

Looking over, Johnny saw both Dean and John standing next to him waiting to see what they should do. Sighing, Johnny looked at the men that he liked to call Moron One and Moron Two before he spoke again. "I'd be better if idiots like these would leave me the hell alone."

"Look kid, you know that we're just doing what's right. If you turn bad then you're going to hurt a lot of people…"

"I have a little girl to watch over, how the hell am I going to have time to turn anything? While we're at it, did it ever occur to you that I could just as easily turn into something good and actually help people? Jeez, it's people like you who nailed Jesus to a tree because you didn't like what he said." Johnny said quietly before turning around and walking inside again.

Dean and John stood there dumbfounded before John told Bobby. "When you're done with the garbage, why don't you and your friend come inside for a beer."

Bobby and Caleb stood there for a moment puzzled; that was really unexpected, but who were they to turn away a good beer?


	22. Chapter 22

AN: Sorry for the delay... had a stomach bug, but better now. Hope you enjoy!

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Johnny hadn't made it too far back into the house before he was rushing upstairs to check on Mary and Ellie. Reaching the room he saw the devastation he caused and if it wasn't for Ellie, he'd be more than willing to die right there on the spot. "I'm so sorry Mary." He said quietly as he walked through the debris on the floor. "I am so very sorry."

Mary sat in the rocking chair with Ellie who hadn't woke during the confrontation outside, and watched her youngest son look around. "Johnny, it's alright. I'm not sure that I understand fully what happened, but I do know that as long as you and Ellie are ok, then we can deal with the rest. Besides, someone pointed out awhile back that we really need to redecorate this room." She said with a big smile hoping that Johnny would see it for what it was, love and acceptance.

Nodding, Johnny slowly made his way to the floor, the earlier events catching up to him. "Uh Mary, do you think you could keep an ear out for Ellie tonight?" he asked before his eyes closed and he fell back.

Dean and John just appeared at the bedroom doorway when Mary yelled for Johnny as he fell slowly back towards the floor. Once both men reached their youngest member, they automatically looked for any injuries and if possibly his arm was bleeding. It wasn't until Mary volunteered to call Marlee that they noticed that Johnny didn't seem to be in any distress, just sleeping. Sighing in relief, they both sat hard on the floor next to him wondering if they would always automatically assume the worst when it came to their Sammy.

"He must have worn himself out with his power display." Dean mused aloud while looking around the room. "Gotta hand it to him, he sure knows how to put on a show."

John looked over at Dean and shook his head. Out of all the things that he had been thinking, _that_ hadn't been one of them. What had him concerned was how many other people knew that his son could do that, and did all of them want to kill him for it. Not wanting to dwell too much on it, he looked at Mary who had been silently watching him. He knew that look, and he also knew what it meant; if he had any doubts about their son, he'd better get over them – quick!

"Alright, let's make him as comfortable as possible here. There's no way I want to try and move him while his arm is still mending." John said, already standing and reaching for a blanket.

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Caleb looked over at Bobby and wondered, not for the first time, what secrets Bobby actually knew and if he'd ever share; then he realized that he really didn't want to know. Thinking about Johnny and what the kid had already been through, and then remembering what Craggen and Miller had wanted to do to him made his skin crawl; especially when there seemed to have been a sort of acceptance with Johnny, as if he knew that eventually that was what was going to happen and there was nothing he could do to change it.

"Quit thinking so loud Caleb, you're giving me a headache." Bobby groused as he continued to watch the road. He knew what the other man was thinking about, and he had to admit he'd had more than a few sleepless nights pondering the same things. It seemed as if any bright spot in Johnny's life had been ripped away, and not all of those times were due to something supernatural. In fact, if the truth were actually to be told, there were more times that a hunter had been involved than even he wanted to think about.

"You know the Winchester's are going to have questions, what are you going to tell them?" Caleb asked, trying to get a feel for the situation.

Bobby looked over at the younger hunter then back at the road. "The truth. There's no reason to lie about it, not now anyway. Johnny's found his family, and I can only pray that once they find out what type of a powerhouse the kid is, they won't treat him any different."

Nodding, Caleb had to agree. He had his own memories of Johnny, and they weren't necessary good ones. It had been right before the kid had gotten thrown into Albany's Juvenile Detention Center, and right before he had lost complete control; of course after what had happened, he didn't blame Johnny at all. No one should ever feel like a piece of meat or a freak show, and those people had wanted both. If he had known what was about to happen, Caleb would have taken the kid in for awhile. Instead, Johnny's supposed guardian had called the authorities and reported him as a runaway, effectively putting the kid behind bars. Of course the charges were dropped as soon as the full story came out, but by then Johnny had unwittingly let loose and drew unwanted attention back to him. Sighing, he looked back at Bobby. "So, how much longer?"

"We're almost there, so how about you keeping your trap shut while we're there? No need for them to know about Albany if they don't have to." Bobby said sternly, he still had nightmares about that night. Not that he blamed the kid, if someone had kept him in a cage only to be let out to do parlor tricks once in awhile, he'd get more than a little wound up too. It hadn't even been the complete and total devastation of the house that disturbed him; it was the look in Johnny's eyes afterwards, as if he couldn't be bothered with life anymore. Remembering that look still gave him chills and it wasn't the first time he felt guilty about it.

Seeing the house, both men looked at each other and braced themselves for what was to come.

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After having made sure the two youngest members of the family were as comfortable as possible, the other three had gone into the kitchen to wait for Bobby and Caleb. None were sure what would happen after the hunters arrived, but they hoped for some sense of closure so they could move on and at least attempt to piece Johnny back together. Sitting at the small table each holding their coffee cups, but none particularly interested in drinking it, they were almost relieved to hear Bobby's truck pull into the driveway.

Knocking on the kitchen door wasn't exactly what Bobby had in mind, but he wasn't going to take a chance at being shot just because the man who extended the invitation suddenly had a change of heart. After hearing John call for them to come in, both hunters tentatively opened the door as if they were expecting an ambush instead of a cold beer.

Mary knew that John had invited them, but she was still a little out of sorts with Bobby, and she didn't have a problem letting him know about it. "You know, you have a lot of nerve coming back here after everything you've done. If it was up to me, you'd have enough buckshot in you to set off metal detectors at airports. Unfortunately, my husband seems to think there's unfinished business, so sit down so we can get this over and done with."

John looked at Mary stunned. He'd seen her mad, and he'd seen her bring someone to their knees, but he never remembered her being rude to a guest in their home before. Of course they never had someone in their home who had kidnapped their son before either, so maybe she _was_ allowed.

"Yes ma'am, I understand, and we won't stay long." Bobby said knowing that they were skating on really thin ice.

"What I want to know is how you two know my brother and if you knew he was in trouble, why didn't you try and help him?" Dean asked looking between both men with a slow burn starting to form with his temper.

Caleb had known that was going to come up, and he wasn't sure how to answer, but looking at Bobby he understood that maybe it would be up to him after all. "Look, not everyone in the hunter community is out to hurt Johnny, actually some think that he could lead a very normal life if others would leave him alone. The problem is the ones who don't feel that way, and the supernatural baddies out there that seem to be drawn to your brother like a magnet."

Dean scoffed at the hunter and wanted to punch the man in the face. 'No one calls my brother a freak.' He thought sourly, and was about to voice his opinion when Caleb continued.

"By the looks of him when he came out to the driveway I'd say he had one of his little… uh… episodes. Since the house is still standing, then it wasn't too bad, but I bet he's sleeping like the dead right now and that scared the hell out of all of you. Am I right?" Caleb asked already knowing the answer. Nodding he sighed, "I guess that means that you scared him just enough to bring it out, but not enough to lose total control. That's good, it also means that you weren't trying to hurt him."

"What the… listen, I let you in my home to thank you for getting rid of those two nuisances and possibly get some answers, but for you to suggest…"

"Mr. Winchester, I'm not suggesting anything, I'm grateful… that's all. Not everyone who finds out about Johnny's gifts are so understanding, some even try and use them for their own purpose." Caleb said solemnly. "It's how he ended up in Albany, New York, and it's probably something he will never tell you but you do need to know that the time he spent in juvie wasn't his doing, he was put in there as payback for retaliating against the people keeping him like a circus animal. Their house wasn't so lucky, and it almost killed him afterwards. We had just got him on his feet again when the cops come busting in and haul him off as a runaway, and tried to charge us with aiding and abetting to the delinquency of a minor. Needless to say it took a little while, but we were able to get all the charges dropped after the caseworker found out what was really going on… well, almost anyway."

John and Mary sat there stunned for a moment before they both asked, "How do you know about this?"

Bobby smirked before he answered. "Well, when hunters here about a boy who can move things with his mind, we have a tendency to pay attention. When Caleb and I found out it was Johnny, we knew we had to help. Of course by the time we got there the house was leveled and he was crawling out from under the debris, but he was alive."

"Does it hurt him each time?" Dean asked concerned about something horrible happening without him knowing about it.

"From what we can tell… yeah. Of course I'm not sure which hurts worse, the telekinesis, or the visions." Caleb answered honestly, but then noticed that he had let something slip. "Damn, I'm sorry; I thought you knew about the visions. What we know about them is basically, right now, he gets them while he's sleeping. Usually they'll be bad enough to send him screaming in the night, and yes, we've had experience. We've run into Johnny and Cade more than once. Cade's dad was a hunter and a friend of ours, so yeah, we knew those two."

Something started to niggle at the back of Mary's mind and finally she had to ask, "Do you think he saw Cade's death?"

Clearing his throat, Bobby nodded, "Yeah, we do, and if so then that's two people who witnessed Cade's death. If it's true then Johnny's list of admirers just grew, and that means that all of you are in danger."

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Finding out that there could be more people after their son was another blow that they hadn't been prepared for and they were wondering how to handle this new information. Dean however had quickly switched to big brother mode and walked over to his dad's gun cabinet and quickly picked out the Glock that had been sitting in the drawer since it had been bought. After tearing it down and making sure it was in working order, he quickly loaded it and put it in his waistband determined to keep his family as safe as possible.

Caleb watched the family assimilate the details that they had shared, and he was amazed that they hadn't ordered him and Bobby out of their home. Now though, they all were going to have to figure out a way to keep Johnny safe without looking like they were protecting him; not an easy task considering how self reliant the kid had been.

As everyone pondered the occurrences of the day, the sound of something on the stairs grabbed everyone's attention. Dean being the closest peaked around the corner before he smiled and relaxed. "Hey little princess, what are you doing up?" he asked Ellie wondering if something was wrong with Johnny. Quickly guiding her to his parents, he quietly rushed up the stairs and made his way to Johnny and Ellie's room. Sensing someone behind him he turned to see Caleb catching up to him with his own weapon drawn making Dean feel not so paranoid. They both looked into the room to see Johnny still on the floor with the blanket kicked off and sweat beading his forehead.

Caleb motioned for Dean to go check on Johnny while he checked the other rooms. Reaching his little brother, Dean put a hand on his chest to make sure that Johnny wasn't having trouble breathing. Assured that it was just a nightmare he was caught in, Dean sat and waiting to see if he would be needed. It was only a few moments before they were joined by Caleb who looked very concerned.

"Think we should wake him?" The hunter asked as he watched the young man mutter in his sleep.

Dean wished he knew. If Johnny was just having a normal nightmare it would be one thing, but if he was having a vision what would happen if he was yanked out of it too soon? He didn't want to hurt his brother, and he didn't want his brother to hurt; either way seemed to be a paradox to him and he wasn't sure how to address it. Finally, the decision was made for them with Johnny bolting upright screaming.

"ELLIE!"

Trying to calm Johnny, Dean put his hand on his shoulder slightly shaking it, "Hey bro, calm down. Ellie's downstairs with Mom and Dad, she's safe. It's alright, go back to…"

Johnny grabbed Dean's wrist and shook his head all the while fighting the exhaustion that was still holding on to his body. "No, no, she saw… they want her… purple bike… don't let her…"

Both Dean and Caleb helped Johnny lay back onto the pillows and re-covered him, wondering what that was about. Not one to ponder things too long, Caleb looked at Dean and asked, "So, what do _you_ think that was?"

Dean had no idea what to think. It was one thing to say that Johnny had visions, but another to possibly see one in action; it didn't set well with him. Sighing, he shrugged his shoulders, "Doesn't matter. Nightmare or vision, he's not going to be out of my sight if I can help it."

Seeing that the other man was serious Caleb started to feel better about the situation. 'Maybe this time the kid actually caught a break.' He thought in amazement, hoping that he was correct, and for once in Johnny's life something went right.

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Mary had insisted the hunters stay the night which they grudgingly accepted only after John told them it would be the only way they would have access to his son again. After an early breakfast which had a small argument thrown in about whether Dean should withdraw from the Academy until everything was resolved, they all finally convinced that they could watch over Johnny and Ellie just fine without him being underfoot all the time.

Before leaving, Dean went to make sure his little brother as well as their little princess was still sleeping soundly before he smiled and picked up his gear before running out of the house complaining that he was already late.

Bobby and Caleb made quick work of subtly putting protection sigils to the outside of the house as well as made mental notes about the neighborhood. Caleb agreed to stay on guard duty while Bobby went to purchase more supplies, leaving him and the last two conscious Winchester's in the same room together… alone. 'Well, this could get interesting.' Caleb thought, wondering if maybe wresting with shapeshifters would be more preferable.

"How about more coffee Caleb?" Mary asked, hoping to keep the man out of her hair today so she could actually enjoy her time with Johnny and Ellie.

Accepting the coffee, Caleb suspected that he would be underfoot, but he had no way of knowing what dangers there were close by, and he wasn't going to take a chance; not with Dean determined to pop in every chance he got to make sure he was doing a good job of protecting his family.

Smirking at the supposed fearless hunter, John couldn't help but notice how fidgety Caleb had suddenly gotten, and he knew it had to do with Dean's threat before he left a little while ago.

'_I'm going to make sure I pop in unannounced, and if even one little hair is out of place on any of my family's heads… I'll rip your heart out and feed it to you. Understand?'_

Yes, his son sure did know how to make a point. Smiling, John walked up the stairs to check on Johnny and Ellie and what he saw when he reached the room surprised him. At first he thought Ellie had left and they hadn't seen her. However, when he looked closer, he saw Ellie on the floor curled up next to Johnny fast asleep. Not wanting to disturb either one, he quietly backed away hoping to let them both get the rest they both needed.

"Ellie should be awake by now." Mary said as she watched John walk back into the kitchen.

"Nah, let them both sleep. If what Bobby and Caleb said is true, they'll need all the sleep they can get." John said quietly, suddenly feeling weighted down.

That was what Mary was worried about. The way things sounded, any nutcase could be hunting her little boy down, and she didn't like it. Now though she could only trust that they all were on the same page and that no matter what, she wasn't losing her Sammy again.


	23. Chapter 23

AN: Hey there... hope you all like this chapter... let me know!

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Dean had filled in a couple of his friends about his dilemma and they all agreed to cover for him while he snuck out occasionally to check on things at home. After all, everyone knew that having a little brother come back from the presumed dead should be considered an excusable absence; add to it that someone wants to kill him and his little girl too, it was really a no brainer of what their answer would be. It wasn't quite time for their lunch break but there was a rare lull in activity and Dean was more than a little anxious to get home. Having just reached his car a voice coming behind him stopped him in his tracks.

"WINCHESTER!"

Groaning, Dean knew that voice, he'd been hearing it enough lately. Steeling himself for the inevitable, he turned to face the man who at the moment held his future in his hands. "Chief Simmons, hello sir."

"Mind telling me what you're doing sneaking off campus?" the Chief asked, watching Dean carefully. "and don't give me the line that you're being gracious and getting everyone lunch, Wilson was foolish enough to try that last week. Now, what's really got you bothered enough that you're willing to wash out?"

That hurt… a lot, but it got Dean's attention fast. He knew that his performance hadn't been stellar, but everyone knew his situation and his instructors had even allowed for it, not that he had asked. "Sir, uh, there's a problem at …"

Chief Simmons held up his hand, "Dean you might think this a game, but right now we're preparing you to save lives. If you can't be committed to that, then you need to be where you are able to give your undivided attention. We all have situations that can distract us, but if you can't find a way to deal with them now while becoming a fire fighter, then how are you going to be able to deal with them when you become one? Think on that while you're at lunch."

Dean watched the Chief turn and walk back to the training center, leaving him to feel as if he just let down everyone he knew.

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Johnny felt like he had been hit by a truck, and the headache he was experiencing wasn't helping him think otherwise. Looking around he saw that he was still on the floor and by the looks of things he had slept the morning away.

"Great," he thought "not only a freak, but a lazy one too."

Making his way downstairs, he heard Mary laughing and he quickly wondered what it was that he had missed. Turning the corner into the kitchen he saw Ellie sitting on the floor covered in flour making what looked to be… snowmen?

"Johnny! Oh, I am so glad you're awake; let me get your medicine while you sit down. How are you feeling?" she asked while reaching into the fridge for some orange juice.

"Uh, honestly, like I just walking into the Twilight Zone." He answered, still watching Ellie mix the flour with a little water and try to roll the mix into a ball. "Uh, no offense, but why's Ellie making glue balls?" he asked completely missing the point of the exercise.

Laughing, Mary handed him a glass of juice and the medicine he had missed earlier. "Actually, Ellie was helping make some biscuits earlier, but kept trying to make shapes with the flour. So, after breakfast, I decided to try something and it seems to be working." She said while watching Ellie continue to make different sized balls

Still confused, Johnny looked between Mary and Ellie and decided to let the question that came to mind go. There was no way he was going to ruin this moment for either one of them.

"You know, I asked her why I couldn't just go to the store and by some Play-Doh or something." Caleb said walking into the kitchen. "You want to know what she said? 'This is much more fun.' She did, I couldn't believe it. I would have pegged her for one of those 'take your muddy shoes off outside before you track my clean floor' type person. Man did I have it all wrong."

Johnny looked between all three people in the kitchen, then wondered if it was him that was out of place. Ignoring their questions, he walked outside to the street, looked at the house and the address and determined that yes, it was the house he thought, but then wondered if it was them or him that had lost their marbles. Sitting on the curb trying to pull his scattered thoughts together he barely heard the car pull up or the concerned voice talk to him.

"Johnny, what's wrong? Hey little brother, talk to me!" Dean said as he crouched in front of his brother trying to figure out what had happened to make him look like that. "Stay here." He said as he rushed in the front door. "MOM! Mom, where are you?" he yelled while thinking that he was going to kill Caleb if anything happened… stepping into the kitchen he saw his mom watching Ellie playing in the middle of what looked to be wet flour while Caleb stood half in and half out the side door watching Johnny.

"Hi dear, we'll have sandwiches and chips for lunch as soon as your dad gets here, alright? Maybe you should tell Johnny that it's time for him to come in and get ready to eat."

Standing there for a minute, he watched his mom as she calmly watched Ellie play… on the floor… with wet flour… everywhere. 'Ok, weird' he thought as he debated whether or not to grab Ellie and run. Deciding that she was ok for the moment, he backed out the way he came and joined his brother on the curb.

"I really need a drink." Johnny said dazedly.

Dean only glanced at Johnny then at the house before he nodded, "Yeah"

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Caleb started laughing, and he couldn't seem to stop. "I have to hand it to you Mrs. Winchester, you really know how to freak your sons out." He said as he continued to watch Johnny and Dean.

Mary continued to smile while watching Ellie. The little girl was the key to Johnny's heart, whoever could make her happy would gain his trust. 'This could work out better than anyone had planned.' She thought as her eyes flashed black for a moment before going back to their normal green. 'Yes, definitely better than expected.'

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John had been feeling off all morning, as if something was wrong but he couldn't seem to figure it out. Knowing that it was getting close to lunch, he yelled to Mike that he was leaving early to check on the family, then grabbed his keys and slid easily into the Impala.

Pulling into the driveway he wasn't really surprised to see Dean's car in front of the house, but he was shocked to see both boys on the curb with matching shell shocked expressions on their faces. Wondering what had happened, he decided to check inside first.

Seeing Caleb laughing like a loon at the door didn't make him feel any better, but when he walked into the kitchen and saw what could only be considered something completely out of the ordinary, that uneasy feeling started to grow. "Mary is everything alright?" he asked watching her for any sign of what could have happened. Hearing Caleb stop laughing suddenly, John wondered what had started him going in the first place. "Mary, sweetheart…"

"Everything's fine John. Can't we girls decide to get a little messy too every now and again?" Mary asked as she continued to watch the little girl. "I thought we'd have sandwiches for lunch. Caleb would you tell the boys it's time?" she asked as she started to walk across the kitchen.

Dean walked in from the dining room with Johnny and Bobby close behind. "Time for what mom?" Dean asked, as Johnny quickly grabbed Ellie out of the way and through the side door that Caleb now had open for him.

Turning, Mary smiled brightly, "For lunch silly, now are cold cuts alright for everyone, or would you like a quick chicken salad?"

John knew something was wrong, it wasn't too obvious but it was still noticeable for those who knew that Mary liked to keep her kitchen, her sanctuary, as clean as possible. She used to laugh that the rest of the house everyone could trash, but leave her kitchen alone. Now, as he looked at the paste that was now hardening on the tile floor and the cabinets, he knew that this wasn't his Mary, and that thought pissed him off.

Bobby quickly took in the situation and understood why Caleb didn't pick up on the demon right away; there were enough scented candles going to mask any sulfur scent that it was leaving behind. Seeing what they were dealing with, he was glad he hadn't decided to take longer at the parts store. "So, you got a name, or should we just start calling you 'hey you'?"

Mary turned to Bobby, "Oh Bobby, and they say you don't have a sense of humor. That's ok, we both know differently, don't we?" she asked then turned to Caleb, "Put that away hunter, I'm leaving… I just wanted to check up on things."

None were expecting the demon to voluntarily leave Mary, and when it dissipated against the ceiling they all watched in horror as she fell to floor unconscious.

"MOM!" Dean yelled as he pulled her close while checking for any injuries. Looking up he saw his dad sitting next to them just as worried, as well as a wide eyed Johnny in the doorway holding tightly to Ellie.

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Mary became aware that she was on the floor with Dean and John's voice in her ears. Not exactly sure what happened, she opened her eyes slowly before looking around. Suddenly everything rushed back to her and her only concern was her family.

"Oh my God, John! Are they alright? Johnny and Ellie, are they ok?" she asked franticly.

"We're here Mary." Johnny said quietly from the table, still trying to get Ellie cleaned up.

Looking between John and Dean, Mary knew that something was wrong, and by the look of her youngest, it was bad. "Johnny, I didn't hurt her did I?" she asked, afraid of the answer.

Shaking his head Johnny didn't look at her, he was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened; what could have happened. Sighing, he knew that he and Ellie had to leave, there was no way he was going to continue to put everyone in harms way, and having a demon possess you was definitely harmful.

Dean was watching Johnny and he didn't like what he saw. 'Damn it, I thought we had this taken care of.' He thought angrily to himself. Looking at the clock he knew that he needed to make a decision and it wasn't going to be an easy one. "Johnny, can I talk to you for a minute?" he asked, hoping that he'd get a chance to change his little brother's mind.

Nodding, Johnny picked Ellie up and followed Dean out the door. They hadn't gotten ten feet from the door before Dean turned around and poked Johnny on the chest. "So that's it? We have a little bit of trouble here, and you're going to pick up and go? What the hell man, how can you do that?" Dean yelled, wondering how their lives could have gone from pretty cool to pretty crappy so fast.

"Dean, it's not that someone spilled milk on the floor, this is huge! A demon possessed our mom and you're going to stand there and say what… it's not my fault? Are you insane?" Johnny yelled back as he put Ellie on the hood of the Impala. "Do you have any idea what could have happened to her? Of course not! I do, and it's not pretty Dean… it's better if me and Ellie find a place of our own."

"No!" Dean said firmly, "Uh uh… no way, if something's after you then it's after all of us and we can deal with it together. Got it?"

Johnny looked at Dean with disbelief, "Together… man you have no idea what we're dealing with. This isn't the movies Dean, people don't usually walk away from something like this, especially not normal sane people."

"So, which are you… abnormal or insane? 'Cause I got to tell you that right now you're sounding pretty nuts at the moment." Dean smirked, watching his little brother closely. Seeing that he wasn't going to get an answer right away, he sighed then nodded. "Fine, _we'll_ get an apartment together. There's no way I'm letting you and Ellie out of my sight any longer than I have to."

Not believing what he was hearing, Johnny was about to argue when Ellie started clapping and said, "Dean!" making both men look at her in shock before Dean looked back at Johnny in triumph, "I guess that's settled."


	24. Chapter 24

Mary could hear her boys outside arguing and she knew it was her fault. She knew not to disturb the symbols on the outside of the doorframe, but one of them looked so familiar to her that she couldn't help but reach and touch it. She had been certain that she hadn't disturbed it, but now she knew that she must have smudged it just enough to let whatever evil creature had possessed her walk right in and play havoc with her family.

Sighing, she looked at Caleb then at Bobby before she looked at John. "I think you'd better get out there before they have the whole block convinced that we're out of our minds." She said gently, trying to spur him on. Watching him walk out the door, she turned to the two remaining men. "Alright, one of you had better tell me what's really going on. I don't know a lot about this stuff, but I do know that if a person's possessed it's not usually out of curiosity. What did it want, and how are we going to keep it from getting it?"

Bobby looked at Caleb and saw the same thought goings across his face… _now they knew where Johnny got it from._

Caleb really didn't want to have to explain the differences between spirits, demons, the different levels of hell, but somehow he had a feeling that he wasn't going to have to go that in depth with it. "Several years ago, Cade's dad got an idea and tattooed Johnny's wrists with devil traps. It's supposed to be an added protection to what Bobby did when your son was a baby." Looking at Bobby, he could tell that the older man was cringing inside, but they didn't have a lot of time. "Bobby basically branded him with a protection sigil on his foot. Not many people notice it since it looks more like a birthmark than anything else."

"Mary, that night that I took your son, a demon was after him. We know that he's been trying to get an army together for quite awhile and he usually tries to bring special children to his side. I know for a fact that he hadn't done anything to Johnny that night, because I was there first. Unfortunately, there are too many people who believe what they want to believe instead of what's right there in front of them." Bobby said gruffly.

"The tattooing was a way to assure the more zealous hunters that he isn't going to be a willing participant; that he's going to do everything he can not to go to this demon. I know this is a lot to take in, but you need to realize…"

"What I realize is that my baby boy was taken from me… from his father and brother; that he was passed around like he didn't matter all because of a 'what could happen' scenario. I doubt I will ever understand why you didn't bring him back to us, but I will tell you this… leave my husband out of the hunt; at least until we know exactly what we're dealing with. I won't have him doubting himself and what he knows… he's been doing that for the last sixteen years." Mary said firmly, listening for signs that her family was coming back in. "Do we understand each other?"

Not bothering to answer, they knew what the message really was and they both silently agreed with it.

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John, as well as half the neighborhood, knew what the argument was about so he didn't pretend to not understand what the shocked look on Johnny's face was about. However he couldn't help but wonder about the triumphant look on Dean's face, he knew that his eldest had already gotten it into his head that he needed to protect his little brother, but he was starting to think this was something more.

"So you three are getting an apartment together?" he asked casually, not wanting to sound disappointed, but feeling as if he was losing his children all over again.

Johnny turned and looked at John, and seeing not a man or his boss, but the person who was really his father and he wasn't sure what to do about that. "Uh, I guess so. Dean's insisting on it, but he has no idea what a handful we can really be." He said, hoping to sound lighthearted, but in all actuality he was worried. They hadn't seen the real devastation that he could cause, it was one of the many reasons he had stayed on the move instead of staying with Cade and Ellie.

Dean smirked, "Oh yeah, you two are real party animals. Trust me; I think I can handle the two of you as room mates." Looking between his dad and brother he had to wonder though about the decision that he needed to make in the next… ten minutes.

"Dean, you need to hurry up or you're going to be late." Johnny said, realizing what time it was. "You've already used up two of your three days and there's no way you need to be late on top of it."

Looking at Johnny he understood something, he didn't care. As long as his little brother and Ellie were safe, then nothing else mattered. He was just about to share that with his family when Johnny interrupted his train of thought.

"Look, I get that you're worried, but really… we'll be ok while you're at the academy. Get going, you're not going to be able to help us later if you get kicked out of there now."

Puzzled, both Dean and John looked at Johnny and wondered the same thing – what did he know that they didn't?

Seeing the determined look on Johnny's face, Dean nodded. "Alright, you win… this time, but if you think that excuse is going to work later you have another thing coming." Turning around and picking Ellie up, he led the way back into the house. Looking around he asked Bobby, "Where'd Mom go?"

Both Bobby and Caleb looked at the men who just walked in the door and hesitantly answered "She said something about a phone call."

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"Brian, you need to tell me the truth. What the hell is going on?" Mary demanded over the phone, trying to keep an eye on her family at the same time.

"_Mary, I can't tell you more than I already have. Let it go, sis."_

"I can't let it go! Something possessed me just to 'check on things' and you're telling me that you can't tell me anything. Damn it Brian, I know you, and you're hiding something."

There was a moment of complete silence and Mary thought that her brother had hung up. _"Mary, you know that we've always tried to keep you out of this as much as possible. I'm sorry, I really am, but we need to make sure that…"_

"That what? My son is sacrificed to some demon? Or how about the fact that there are people out there trying to hunt him down because of it? Is this the reason why you insisted that I move out as soon as I could, so I wouldn't stumble on more than what I already had?"

"_Damn it Mary, listen closely. Sammy is special; we all knew it before he was born. You're right, we wanted you out of harms way, but we didn't know what was going to happen; you have to believe that."_

Mary sighed, she did know it, deep down she knew that her brother and uncles had spent her life trying to make sure she was never afraid of what was out there. That didn't help her at the moment though. "Brian, if you don't tell me right now what I need to know, then you can forget that I ever existed, because I sure as hell will forget about you!"

"_I understand Mary, good-bye."_

The silence on the other end followed by the dial tone hurt her more than she wanted to admit. Her brother had always been there for her when she was growing up, and now she wished she knew what was going on. It wasn't like Brian to just walk away from her like that; of course she couldn't really say that. They hadn't really been close since she married John, but she had always known that if she needed something he was just a phone call away. Now though, he was willing to give her up completely to keep whatever secret he had; and to make it worse, his secret had hurt her son.

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Johnny hated to admit his need for a pain pill, but with everything that had been going on, he understood that no one was going to begrudge him one now; in fact they were looking at him as if to say 'it's about time' which made him wonder if he'd been acting like an ass most of the day. Sighing, he thought about the things he and Ellie had done, and wondered about the sad smile that Mary gave them. He knew that she wouldn't be happy with them moving out, but he sensed it had to do with something else.

"So, you think that you three will be happy with the three bedroom you saw today?" John asked, hoping to get some sort of conversation going, he really hated oppressive silence.

Shocked out of his thoughts, it took Johnny a moment to realize what the conversation was about. "Uh, yeah, I guess. It's just a waste." He said, not really pulling his thoughts together well. Seeing their concerned looks he explained. "Ellie still sleeps with me, and I have no idea how long that will last. It could be a couple days, or years; I'm not going to push it. I don't know how long we'll have the apartment. I mean Dean could get tired of us a week after we all move in or everything could work out great and we'll stick together until he finds someone and moves out. I think that a three bedroom could really be just a waste of space, not to mention money."

Mary and John looked at each concerned. They had talked to each other about the situation, but understood quickly that they had failed to talk to him. "Johnny, you do realize that you'll get a check every week while you're laid up, right. It won't be as much as you were getting, but it should pay for your portion of the rent, and of course we'll…"

"Wait… what?" Johnny asked, he of course heard the words, but couldn't seem to make sense of them. "I'm not working, and the money I do have saved up along with the checks I hadn't cashed yet would get us by for the next couple of months, so where would…" he knew that the meds were affecting his brain, and he hated them for that as much as he loved not feeling as if his arm was being crushed all over again.

Concerned, John looked at Mary before answering, "Johnny, we have worker's comp insurance. You were hurt on the job, and it's going to cover your medical bills along with part of your living expenses until you're able to work again."

Shaking his head, Johnny was sure that he misheard what John had just said. "Right, like I'm going to get paid for not working. Look, nice try, but even I know that doesn't happen legally."

John laughed, and then understood where his son was coming from. Sitting down next to Johnny, he smiled, "I promise you, it's legal. In fact, I arranged an attorney for you to make sure that everything happens like it's supposed to. There's even a possibility that they'll pay for school if they find out you're not able to be a mechanic anymore."

Johnny shook his head, "That's not necessary; I've got my GED so I don't have to…"

"No Johnny," Mary interrupted, "not high school… college, or even a trade school if you wanted."

Confused he looked between John and Mary before leaning back against the couch. He could hear Ellie coloring on the floor next to him, heard Bobby and Caleb talking softly in the kitchen, and even heard the neighbor across the street Mr. Freemantle mowing his lawn; but for the life of him he couldn't hear his own thoughts. It was as if everything had been either sucked out of his brains, or he had become deaf to them. Finally, he was able to form a thought, but not stop it from leaving his mouth. "I'm not school material."

John and Mary both looked shocked at that statement and had to wonder about it, but were stopped by Bobby's voice at the doorway. "The hell you aren't boy! I've never seen anyone take to learning something the way you do." Turning to the older Winchester's he shook his head, "This kid could find out something faster than anyone I know, and it didn't even have to be a subject that he was familiar with. I've never met anyone who could root out an answer to a question like he can. So kid, if you have the chance to go to school… take it! God knows we need more intelligent people on this planet instead of some of the morons who insist they are."

Mary nodded at Bobby in agreement, she had seen too many people act as if they knew everything but were still too ignorant of the world around them. "Johnny, at least think about it. Even if the tuition isn't paid for from the workman's comp claim, think about going to better yourself and to give Ellie something better." She had meant it as encouragement, but as soon as those last words left her mouth she knew she said the wrong thing.

"Look, everything I do is for Ellie whether you want to believe that or not. If you don't think it's good enough; say so and you won't have to worry about us being underfoot anymore." Johnny said tersely, getting up from the couch. "Come on princess, I think we need to go upstairs for awhile."

They watched him take Ellie by the hand and walk up the stairs, none of them knowing what to say or do. Mary looked at John who seemed as worried as she was and finally asked, "Have we made a mistake in keeping them here?"

John knew what his wife was really asking, it was more of a 'should we have given them more room' or 'have we been pushing too hard' type question, and he didn't have an answer. He only hoped that they could help Johnny see that they needed him as much as he needed them; the problem was the boy was as stubborn as his mother.


	25. Chapter 25

AN: Hope you all enjoy this chapter, don't forget to let me know!!!

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By the time Dean got home, he was tired and more than a little cranky. Nothing got him worked up than being made an example of in front of the whole class, especially when it was about getting their priorities straight. Right, he didn't have his priorities straight just because they didn't match up with the Chief's idea's. Sighing, he rested his head on the steering wheel trying to collect his thoughts.

It wasn't until he heard the tap on the window that he realized he had lost track of time and was sure his family had sent out a search party for him. Turning towards the glass, he saw Billy Jenkins smiling at him. The boy was only about nine, but his dad had died the year before leaving him, his mom and little sister to live in a house mortgaged to the hilt without any insurance at all. Rolling down the window Dean smiled, "Hey Billy, what's going on?"

"I wanted to say bye in case I didn't get to later." Billy said sadly. He liked Dean a lot, he would play catch with him anytime he got the chance and would make his mom smile just by looking at her.

Dean was confused for a moment then ventured, "So what's up, you guys going on vacation or something?"

Billy shook his head, "Uh uh… Mom talked to a realtor today and the guy said that we should be able to sell the house pretty quick. So, I just wanted to say that I'll miss seeing you around."

"Whoa there, wait a minute… you're moving? Where are you moving to?" Dean asked worriedly, he knew that Michelle had been having a hard time, but he thought things were getting better.

Shrugging his shoulders Billy didn't answer, he didn't know the answer. His Mom kept telling him not to worry, but he couldn't help it. In his mind, if they couldn't afford their house, then they couldn't afford a different one.

Seeing the boy upset worried Dean, the kid was usually pretty upbeat. That was something that drew people to him, but now it looked as if the kid was as the end of his rope. "I tell you what, I'll go talk to your mom and we'll figure something out, ok?" he asked, hoping that maybe he could find an answer for their neighbor, she didn't deserve this.

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Dinner was a quiet affair with the exception of Ellie's humming. Dean had apparently made it home, but had gone off somewhere and hadn't made it inside yet. John and Mary exchanged glances and continued to watch Johnny as he made his way through his meal quietly.

Dean knew something had happened as soon as he walked in the door, the house was too quiet. Sure, he heard his family in the dining room eating dinner, but there was no conversation going and that was unnerving in itself, but to see Johnny so shut off from everyone else made him wonder what exactly had happed while he was gone.

"Alright, what's going on?" he asked, looking at each member of his family. Seeing that he wasn't going to get a quick answer he decided to take different approach. Pulling out his cell phone, he called the number that Caleb had given him. Standing in the living room getting the details from the other man, Dean could see how things had gone from decent to tense in such a short time. His parents kept thinking as if Johnny was still Sammy and would fall into a normal life easily. Unfortunately he had seen how Johnny really was, completely self reliant, and if it wasn't for Ellie then he'd be on the road right now instead of trying to conform to their parents way of thinking.

Tapping his cell phone to his forehead, he started thinking about how much freedom Johnny had actually given up, and he had to admit that if he had been his little brother then he would have probably felt the same way. Their parents meant well, but they just didn't get the full extent of how Johnny had been raised. His little brother hadn't had anyone to run to when he had a bad dream, or scraped a knee; he only had himself until he met Cade, and even then it was temporary. He had an idea, and he knew his parents wouldn't like it, but it might be the only way to keep Johnny around; otherwise both he and Ellie would be gone without anyone realizing it until it was too late.

"Hey Johnny! I know that you already took a look at that apartment, but what would you say about a house?"

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Johnny and Ellie had left to speak to the neighbor leaving the other Winchester's in the dining room. Dean saw his chance and he wasn't going to let it go. "Alright you too, give him a break. I know that you want all of us like we were, but we're not and you pushing him towards something he's not ready for isn't helping."

"Son, he needs to know that we're a family and…"

"… and what Dad, we'll always be there for him? That anything he ever needs we'll make sure he gets? Sounds great, so why can't you let him do it somewhere else?" Dean asked and then held up his hand. "Do you two not realize that he hasn't gone out since Ellie's been here? That every waking moment it's been about her, and to top it off trying hard to follow whatever guidelines that you two have silently put down? Jeez, I'd want out of here too."

Shocked, both Mary and John looked at Dean and silently watched their eldest son nod. "Yeah, now you're getting it. He didn't get his GED and emancipation papers just because he was feeling bratty one day, he did it so others would have any control over his actions. He's given up a lot of that for Ellie, and he doesn't regret it. Don't make him regret his feelings towards you Mom; you're the only reason why he agreed to stay here in the first place, he and Ellie could have lived anywhere."

Leaving his parents at the table to think about what he said, Dean decided to go next door to see what his little brother thought about the Jenkins place.

Mary looked at John and whispered, "We've been taking too much for granted haven't we?"

John could only sit there and think about the boy that they met on the road compared to the man who had been trying his best not the let them down. 'Damn, how can we fix this?' he thought to himself, trying hard to think of a solution to show Johnny that he could still be himself and their son too.

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Michelle Jenkins hated being a single mom, but there wasn't anything she could do about it and now she had a bigger hate; she had to sell the house that she and her husband bought before Billy was born. It broke her heart considering how many memories of Jimmy were there. Now though, she watched Dean's brother walk around with his little girl and wondered what they thought of the place.

When Dean had come over to talk to her about what was going on, she had unloaded with both barrels. The medical bills from her husband's accident were still being paid, the taxes had gone up, she had to pay for a plumber to repair the sewer line because it hadn't been put in properly, and now she was two months behind on her mortgage and they were threatening foreclosure even though she had explained the situation and asked if there was any possible way to restructure the payments. Dean had listened sympathetically and asked how much she was wanting for it compared to how much it was worth, then asked if she had already looked for other places to live. At first she had thought he was just doing some weird form of flirting, it wouldn't have been the first time, but then she realized he was serious. He knew a lot of people, and some were actually thinking about buying a new home. She could have kissed him on the spot if she hadn't had two kids fighting over the last of the fresh baked cookies.

"Uh, excuse me, but does the play set in the back stay?" Johnny asked, not wanting to intrude on her thoughts, but Ellie had already taken to the backyard and he needed to know what was included.

Smiling, Michelle nodded, "Oh yeah, that monster is staying; there's no way I'd be able to fit it in the van."

Laughing, Johnny smiled back then turned to watch Ellie play some more. He was so engrossed in her that he didn't know anyone else was around until he felt a slap on the back and heard his brother's voice.

"Hey, looks like our girl has taste. You know Dad and I came over and helped Jimmy put that thing together. The instructions said it could be assembled in a weekend, yeah… try two weeks." Dean laughed at the memory; it was one of the few times that his dad had periodically trusted him out of his sight for a whole day that didn't include school. "So, have you had the grand tour yet?"

Nodding, Johnny stepped out into the yard and turned to look at the house. "Yeah, four bedrooms, three baths, a separate laundry room, large living area a dining room and an island in the kitchen. The roof looks fairly new, so that wouldn't be an issue for awhile, and the windows are in pretty good shape. I just haven't gotten the nerve to ask her how much she wants for it."

Dean knew that this was where he was going to have to tread lightly. When he told Johnny the price he thought his little brother was going to have a stroke, and it took a little while to calm him down and not grab Ellie off the play set to go home.

"Dean, I can't afford that!" he hissed not wanting Michelle to overhear. "Even if I used all of Cade's insurance money, there would be no way!"

"Calm down dude, who said it would be just you?" Dean asked. "Look, I have some money saved up that will help on the down payment. We can get a thirty year mortgage for now and pay it down if we want to later." He said confidently. He wasn't certain that Johnny was going to go for it, but he had to at least try.

"It's too big." Johnny said quietly, not wanting to convey just how much the whole idea scared him. Staying in one place too long didn't usually turn out to be such a good decision for him.

"By the time we get all of Ellie's things in one room, pick out stuff for you in another, and my stuff from my apartment, trust me… you'll be thinking we should have gotten a bigger one."

Johnny looked at Dean and saw how serious his brother was. "Man, I can't ask you to do this."

Sighing, Dean shook his head, "Johnny, you're my little brother, you're not asking me to do anything. If anything, it's the other way around. Something has to prod me to settle down, otherwise I'll end up being one of those store greeters you see because I waiting too long to plan for my retirement." He meant it as a joke, but even he saw the truth in the statement.

Looking between Ellie and Dean, Johnny wasn't certain what to think. In a way it would be nice for Ellie to have a place of her own again, but being in one place made Johnny uncomfortable. Starting to feel as if he was a bug under a microscope, he nodded. "Ok, let's see if we can actually afford it before we start announcing that we're buying it."

Dean couldn't agree more, the last thing he needed was for someone to start making wise cracks about him shaking up with his brother. 'Ewww.' He thought, wondering why he let his mind drift that way.

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Bobby couldn't believe what he just heard. In fact he was about to ask the person to repeat it when it occurred to him that it was too absurd for the other person to lie about it. Cursing under his breath, he made his way towards Caleb to fill in what he found out. By the time he finished Caleb was showing signs of just how nervous he was. It wasn't until he finally finished pacing in front of Bobby that he turned and faced the older man.

"Man, I hate Druids!"


	26. Chapter 26

AN: Any mistakes are definitly mine... I have a stupid cold/flu thing going on and using something as easy as spellcheck is way beyond me at the moment. Hope you like the chapter... let me know!

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Dean knew his family was there, it was a given and one he appreciated; it didn't make him less nervous though. Today was graduation day, and although many people had made sure not to tell their families about it, he was the opposite and wanted everyone there. After all, if it wasn't for them then he wouldn't be there in his uniform waiting for the precession to begin. He had been ready to walk away from his dream because his family needed him, but Johnny had made sure he stuck with it. In an odd way he felt like today was their day, not just his and he wanted to make sure they were there.

After the ceremony there was a small reception and Dean was enjoying showing off his family to his friends. He had been only one of three to get stationed in Lawrence, while the other graduates had been split into the surrounding areas. It definitely was a time for celebration, and he was going to make sure they did it in style. Only Ellie knew that he made reservations for the whole family to Chez Moran in the entertainment district, and he knew for a fact that she wasn't going to tell.

Picking his little niece up into his arms he was amazed at how easy she was letting him do that now, before it would be touch and go; some days she'd let him, other days were just for Johnny. Taking a moment to glance at his little brother, he wondered what was going on in his head. Ever since moving next door to their parents he had made sure that Ellie's needs were taken care of, but had thrown himself into projects that anyone with one working hand would have trouble doing. In fact it had caused an argument one night that caused Ellie to get so upset she hid in a coat closet and wouldn't come out until she saw them hug and say they were sorry. Now he could smile about it, then – not so much.

"Hey Dean, Congratulations!" Johnny said happily, giving his big brother a pat on the back. "So, you're still in Lawrence right?"

Their parents had tuned into the conversation and were anxiously waiting the answer. "Yep, I'll be here until they decide to transfer me somewhere else, but that rarely happens." He said with a smile. He knew he'd have weird hours, but that was ok, most of the time he'd be home to help with Ellie and the house. "So, you guys ready for my surprise?" he asked, hoping that it wasn't as corny as he was starting to think.

They had managed to weave through traffic without any problems and even got a decent parking spot. The real problem had been convincing his parents that it was ok to go into the normally posh restaurant since he was buying. Who knew that parents could be so damn stubborn?

As they enjoyed lunch, they all noticed that Johnny suddenly got distracted and nothing they did could get him to focus on the occasion at hand. Finally Dean had enough and decided to take matters in his own hands. Waving his hand in front of his little brother, Dean finally got Johnny's attention. "Hey, there you are, I was starting to wonder if you got lost."

"Sorry man, it's just that guy over there… he's one of top specialists in autism in the area. I've been trying to get an appointment with him for the last month ever since I went to his seminar." Johnny said quietly as he still watched the guy.

Mary knew that Johnny had been going to a series of seminars and unofficial 'playdates' for people with autism and their families, but she hadn't known that he had been trying to get Ellie seen by someone. "Johnny, is everything alright? I mean, you haven't changed your mind have you?"

Looking at Mary Johnny shook his head. "No, I still don't think that there's anything wrong with her, I just want to make sure that I'm not messing up, that's all."

The rest of the Winchester's laughed when they heard that. They all knew that when it came to Ellie, there was no way he could ever mess up, she was too much of a high priority. Seeing his puzzled look, John smiled. "Don't worry son, you're doing fine with her. She's actually started to interact more with others since you two have been together, so don't sell yourself short."

Nodding, Johnny was about to say something when he suddenly reached out. "Dr. Brewster," he said while grabbing hold of the passing man. "excuse me, but I sat for your seminar at the library last month and was hoping to make an appointment with you to see Ellie."

The others at the table were quietly waiting for the reaction of the doctor and was surprised when the man pulled a chair up to the table. "Well, I'm pretty well booked through the end of the year for new patients, but if you could tell me a little bit about her and what's going on, I might be able to fit her in."

Bolstered, Johnny told the doctor everything of how Ellie hadn't been breathing when she was born, to the normal advancements that she had gone through until a short time after the age of two and then the sudden shut down of all of her social skills. The doctor listened, as he watched Ellie draw on a small piece of paper while humming to herself. After listening, Dr. Brewster nodded.

"I see. Well young man, I have to hand it to you, all in all I'd say that for the lack of experience you have done pretty well. However, I believe that she would most likely be an ideal candidate for the school that myself and a couple of colleagues have formed. We've noticed that a lot of times, it's actually the parents or guardians who unintentionally hold their loved ones back. From what I can see so far, she is a healthy little girl, and should be able to learn new skills with the program that we had devised."

The adults at the table were silent for a moment while they processed what they heard. It was Johnny who broke out of his shock first. "Wait a minute, I didn't say that there was something wrong with her, she's perfectly fine the way she is. I just want to make sure that I'm not making matters worse in the way I'm teaching her." He said in almost desperation.

Dr. Brewster looked at Johnny and nodded, "Of course, most parents feel that way about their children. However those are the parents who usually end up conforming to the child, not making the child conform to them. At our school, she'd have access to twenty four hour care in a stimulating environment designed to draw out those who suffer from her condition.

"Wait… what?" Dean asked, "That sounds more like a boarding school or something… twenty four hour care or something."

"Precisely, the constant care that she would receive would be…"

"I'm sorry to have wasted your time Dr. Brewster, but you have to understand I'm not leaving Ellie – ever!"

Nodding, the doctor rose from his seat. "Of course, however I must caution you that without proper guidance, your Ellie could possibly stay at this level for the rest of her life."

The look on Johnny's face as he watched the doctor leave the restaurant was one the others couldn't place; it was either 'like hell' or 'who cares', either way it reminded the others just who Johnny was.

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Mary sat and watched Ellie draw a picture of a house with trees and a dog in the yard. It hadn't been too hard to figure out that the house was hers and the dog was what she was hoping for. Smiling, Mary was ready to put it on the refrigerator with the others when Caleb knocked on the side door. Over the last couple of months, either he or Bobby would stop in to make sure everything was alright. At first it unnerved her until they sat down with her when John was at work and the boys were out with Ellie, then it started to make a weird sort of sense.

"_Mary, what do you know about Druids?" Caleb asked cautiously, they were pretty sure that she had no idea what was going on, but they still needed to be careful._

_Confused, Mary smiled and replied, "Druids? You mean those people who wear long robes and go out on the highest mountains… those druids?"_

_Caleb wasn't sure what was going to happen, but they waited too long as it was. "We got a call from a friend of ours who found evidence of your family having a long line of them. Normally it wouldn't be bad, most of them stay to themselves and practice peacefully. It's the ones who don't that show up on our radar and then we have to deal with it."_

_Seeing that Mary wasn't seeing the full story, Bobby stepped in to help. "We think that one of your ancestors made a deal, and the closer the time came to collect, the further your family tried to distance itself away from what they had practiced for so long."_

"_I don't understand, my family's not some sort of… whatever, they're normal people. Even if they were, what does that have to do with what's going on now?"_

_Looking at each other, both Bobby and Caleb shook their heads. "We're not sure yet, but if someone in your family was trying to welsh out on a deal, then we could be in for more than we initially thought." Bobby said quietly, watching the woman in front of him closely._

She had been so certain that they were both crazy, but then she thought about the times that her brother or uncles would get mad if she asked too many questions about their family. Now she could see how it might be a possibility. Not wanting to think about it too much, she had pushed it off to the side to concentrate on other things.

"Come in Caleb, Ellie and I were about to have lunch. How would you like your grilled cheese?" she asked with a chuckle. Every day Ellie ate the same thing and didn't seem to ever get tired of it.

Smiling, Caleb shook his head. "None for me today, thanks though. I take it Johnny took off again for a little while?" he asked while watching the little girl start on a new picture.

Mary nodded, "You know, I was sure that I'd see the boys just as much once they moved next door, but now I see them only as they're running out the door."

Caleb laughed at that. "I take it that Johnny still doesn't believe what Dr. Brewster said?" he asked, knowing exactly how the kid felt about the guy.

"You know Johnny, but to be honest I can't blame him. When that doctor suggested she go to a special boarding school, I thought he was joking. I'm glad that Johnny dug his heals in, I have no idea what we'd do without her."

Smiling, Caleb was pretty sure he knew the answer but he wasn't willing to share his theory. He watched as Ellie started a new picture and had to admit that she was becoming quite the little artist, a person could actually tell what she was drawing. "So, Johnny's still doing the physical therapy?"

"Mmm hmmm, it's almost over though from what they were telling him last time, but ever since he had that run in with Dr. Brewster he's been determined to prove the man wrong." She said quietly. She thought about the last couple of months and knew that Johnny would disappear for a couple hours past his physical therapy appointments, but he always came back looking more determined than ever.

"You know, if you'd like either Bobby or I could find us what's up with him and let you know." He offered, hoping that Johnny wasn't going back to some of his old habits.

Mary laughed, "No, thank you though. I'm sure when he's ready he'll tell us what he's been up to. Besides, in the past couple of months he's actually started to relax a little around us, I don't want to risk that."

Nodding in agreement, Caleb sat at the table and thought about the changes that they'd noticed in Johnny and had to agree that it would be better just to let Mohammad come to the mountain. He was still contemplating the reason for his visit when the sound of the phone interrupted his train of thought. He wasn't paying any attention until Mary ran into the kitchen with Ellie's coat.

"That was Dean, Johnny's in the ER!"

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Dean loved what he did, he really did. However he got the distinct feeling that all the crazies waited until he was on duty before they came out and caused havoc. It was bad enough the fatalities on the Interstate last week because some moron didn't like the idea of being cut off, or the domestic violence case last month that left a two month old baby in the state's care until other family was found, now they had a shooting on the campus of none other than KU and didn't that hit just too close to home; he still had friends there.

As they pulled up with news that the ambulance was on the way and the police had already secured the scene, he and his crewmates rushed to see if they could keep the poor soul with them until he could be transported to the hospital. He remembered being teased about wanting to be a firefighter, since most people still think of them as people who help little girls get their cat out of trees, but being a first responder meant so much more; it meant that someone's life was in their hands until more qualified help arrived.

They had been met by one of the Professors who immediately rushed them towards the scene. "It's all so surreal, Dr. Malloy and I were walking a prospective student around the campus when a shot rang out and the boy dropped there at our feet. We didn't even get a chance to see where the shot was fired from it happened so fast."

Rushing across the commons they could see the police were doing their best to keep everyone away while an older gentleman sat in the damp grass holding the victim's hand while trying to stop the bleeding with his other. Dean knew that this wasn't going to be a pretty sight, it never was when a kid was involved, and being that the guy was looking into enrolling meant that he was just that; a kid.

"Dean, you need to stay back." An officer said, cutting in front of him. Dean recognized him from a few of the more crazy calls they had to content with.

Confused, he watched the others get to the victim before looking at each other then at him in horror before starting to work on him. Looking back at the officer Dean suddenly remembered the guys name. "What's going on Jack?" he asked, suddenly feeling a knot in the pit of his stomach.

"Man, you need to trust me, you don't want to see this." Jack said, looking at Dean with sympathy.

Pushing away from the man, Dean ran towards his teammates and then slid to a stop when he saw the dark hair and too pale face. "Sammy!"


	27. Chapter 27

AN: Alrighty... I hope everyone likes this chapter... let me know!

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Dean stood there in shock as he looked down at his little brother who had a bullet wound in his chest. "Sammy!" he repeated, hoping that he'd wake up from this nightmare. 

"It's Sam" came the whispered reply breaking Dean out of his numbness and allowed him to drop down to his brother's side.

"What?" he asked dumbly, not sure he heard correctly.

"You said Sammy… it's Sam… unless… you… change…"

"NO! God no! I just… geez Sammy, if you wanted permission to change your name, all you had to do was say so, getting shot is going a little overboard don't you think?" he teased while trying to add pressure to the wound. He watched as his little brother struggled to breathe, and from the sounds, he probably had a collapsed lung. Looking over at Lucas he saw his friend was already starting an IV line and radioing the paramedics the situation.

"Excuse me young man, but I take it you know Sam here?" Dr. Malloy asked.

Nodding, Dean said, "He's my brother. Hey, you haven't told me… what are doing here anyway?"

Trying to smile, Sam looked at Dean. "Mini sem…next week…surprise… Christmas." He gasped out, watching his brother closely. He knew it was bad, he could feel himself drifting, but he had to hang on a little longer. "Dean…the papers…Dad's safe."

"Dude, whatever you're trying to tell me, save it. We don't do the whole chick flick crap, remember?" Dean tried to make his voice steady, but with it cracking, he knew he wasn't succeeding. Seeing everyone moving back, he knew that paramedics had finally made it, but it didn't make him feel any better. As he watched them hook his brother up to more IV's, monitors as well as bandaging him to try and keep the bleeding down, he couldn't help but stare as they inserted a small chest tube to decrease the pressure.

"Alright, we're ready to go, the hospital has already been alerted and they have a trauma team waiting." One of the medics stated before turning to Dean. "Hey, you riding with your brother? It'll be a tight fit, but…"

Dean nodded numbly, knowing that there wasn't any other place he wanted to be. Looking quickly at Lucas and the others, he was about to let them know when they started shoving him towards the ambulance.

"Move it Winchester, we got you covered."

The sound of the siren didn't give him any sort of comfort however as he sat back and watched his baby brother struggle to stay alive.

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Caleb had just ushered Mary and Ellie into the ER when they spotted Dean coming out of the double doors covered in blood and looking like he was sleepwalking.

"Dean!" Mary called out, ignoring Ellie's outburst of the same.

Looking over, Dean saw his mom and stood staring at her, for a moment forgetting that he'd called her.

"Dean, what's going on?" Mary demanded.

"We got a call that there had been a shooting at KU, we responded and there was Sammy lying on the ground." Dean said shaking his head, still not believing what he had seen. "Someone shot him Mom. There were no other shots fired, and the doctor said that it was a damn fluke that it hadn't gone through his heart."

Caleb was listening intently, and didn't like what he heard. One shot, and it was meant to kill, sounded like someone hadn't gotten the message to leave the kid alone. Making a mental note to call Bobby, he continued to listen to what was in front of him.

"Mom, he's in surgery right now. They have to repair his lung and stop the bleeding, and they've already said he'll be on a ventilator until they know that his lungs are strong enough." Dean couldn't understand how this happened. His brother was supposed to be at home playing with Ellie, not in the middle of surgery to save his life.

Mary watched as her oldest son started to crumble, and she had to admit that this was something that would make anyone crack under the strain. "Dean, sweetie, you need to calm down. I don't understand… what was Johnny doing at the University?"

It took a minute for Dean to understand the question and then he reached out and took Ellie from his mom. "I can't tell you… I mean, I can… but it's not my thing, so…"

"Excuse me, Mr. Winchester?" a voice off to the side spoke, bringing their attention to the man Dean had seen trying to keep his brother with them. "I'm sorry to intrude, but I was hoping to find out how you're brother is doing?"

Seeing the tense look on both his mom and Caleb's faces, Dean nodded. "He's in surgery at the moment. They think he'll be fine, but you know…"

"Of course, I understand. I know this isn't the appropriate place, but I wanted to introduce myself to you. I am Dr. Edmund Malloy and I am the Head of the School of Psychology at Kansas University. You're brother and I have gotten to know each other over the past couple of weeks, and I am certain he will make a fine addition to our school." The man said with a smile. "I take it this little one is Ellie. Yes, Sam has mentioned her many times; in fact I get the distinct impression that she's the sole reason why he even explored the field of Psychology."

Mary was stunned for a moment, and then looked at the man before her. "Uh excuse me… Sam?"

Nodding, Dr. Malloy turned his attention to Mary. "Yes, I have to admit, when he first came to me to ask questions about autism I initially thought it was a joke. After all, how many young people really care about others less fortunate than themselves, but after explaining how he had been told that he should think about becoming a therapist, and the things that he had attempted with Ellie, I understood that I wasn't talking to someone with idle curiosity." He paused and watched the little girl in Dean's arms. "You know if it wasn't for the fact that he did so well on our placement exams, he would have had to wait until next fall for enrollment, but I'm happy to say that he did extremely well and his enrollment into the mini semester before this happened was all but guaranteed."

"Uh, excuse me sir, but what happens now?" Dean asked, ignoring his mother's shock for the moment.

"Oh, not to worry, I'll make sure that his enrollment carries over. After all, it's not his fault that he was shot, right?" Dr. Malloy said before turning back to Dean. "I do have a question for you. The GED he provided for us is under the name of Johnny Doe, but he was insistent that he enroll as Sam Winchester which he has identification for, can you shed some light on the subject?"

"My son was kidnapped as a baby; we've only been reunited for a short while." Mary said quietly. "Dean, is that where he's been after his PT, getting identification to be our Sammy again?"

Dean shrugged his shoulder, not wanting to mess up the surprise anymore than it already had been. Finally he nodded, "I didn't know anything about it either Mom, but I guess that the confrontation with that quack set him off and he started digging into what it would take to become a therapist. After all, if Brewster could become one, then why couldn't he, right?"

Smiling, Mary nodded; her baby was going to college. She couldn't wait to tell… "Oh my God, Dean! Did you call your father?"

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John had just finished replacing the heads on the Mustang when the phone rang. Seeing that Mike was busy, he rushed to answer it, hoping that it was their wholesaler letting him know his order was being sent out early. Before he even had a chance to fully answer, he was interrupted and what he heard on the other end made his blood run cold.

"What? Ok… Mary, I'm on my way. Just stay there and we'll go up together…I will honey… ten minutes."

He barely yelled out to Mike that he had to go before he and the Impala were racing down the road. 'Who would do that?' he asked himself, wondering if there had been anyone around the area that hadn't really belonged and he knew right away that the only ones that had been close to his family were hunters. Pressing on the accelerator more, he was determined to find out what happened and make sure it didn't happen again.

Running into the ER he was confronted by the sight of his son, who had obviously been at work when he found out, holding Ellie in his arms trying to keep her calm, and his wife who was pacing back and forth. It took him another moment to see that Caleb was there as well, and at the moment he was one of the people he _didn't_ want to be there. Side stepping over to Caleb, he grabbed the man and shoved him into the wall. "What the hell did you do to my son?" he demanded, prepared to beat the truth out of the man if he had to.

"John, he didn't do anything… he was at the house with me and Ellie when Dean called." Mary said while trying to pull her husband off the hunter.

Finally letting Caleb go, John looked around puzzled. "What's going on Mary? How did this happen?" he asked, certain that there had to have been a mistake.

As Mary took the time to fill John in on what she knew, Caleb and Dean met and tried to figure out what happened.

"Look, from what I've already heard, there was one shot and one shot only. That means that whoever it was meant to kill him. Dad might have let you go, but if anything happens to my little brother, I'll kill you myself find a way to bring you back then do it again."

Caleb understood, and couldn't agree more. If Johnny… no, Sam was his little brother he'd feel the same way. Showing Dean his phone, he pointed that he'd be right outside, then proceeded to phone Bobby to fill him in. It didn't take long for the older hunter to start cussing then growled out that he was on his way to help figure out what went wrong. Cutting the call, Caleb had to wonder how things could ever be right again.

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A nurse showed them to the ICU waiting room and filled them in on Sam's status. Once she was sure everyone knew the rules and precautions, she called the surgeon in to help fill in any gaps.

"My name is Dr. Sullivan, and I'm the one who has been treating uh, ok… we have a Sam and a Johnny on the paperwork. I'm going to assume he's the same person." He said looking at everyone and when he got the approval he proceeded. "He's a very lucky young man. He has a collapsed lung, and a few cracked and chipped ribs, but otherwise he's doing remarkably well. I'm not sure if anyone has told you, but if his heart was in what we consider "normal" position, he'd be dead. Thankfully, it is offset by half an inch to the right. The bullet passed through, and didn't hit any other vital organs on the way out. His lung we were able to inflate without having to cut into his chest which will make his recovery time a lot quicker. So, any questions?"

"Yeah, is he still going to be on a respirator?" Dean asked, wanting to know just how weak Sammy's lungs were right now.

"Only as a precaution. If everything goes according to plan, we can probably have him off of it late tomorrow.

Mary started to get concerned, "What about lasting effects? Will he have problems later?"

Dr. Sullivan smiled, "I assure you that with as young as he is, there shouldn't be lasting damage. In fact, if he was as fit as I think he was, then he'll probably be climbing the walls to get out of here in the next couple of days."

Smiling, the Winchester's knew that that would definitely be the case.

Knowing that only two of them could go in at a time, and Ellie wouldn't be allowed, Dean and John went in first to make sure that everything was as they'd been told. Seeing their Sammy lying there unconscious bad both men cringe, but they were thankful he was still alive.

"So, your brother's changing his name." John stated, wanting to hear it from Dean.

"Yeah, I guess so. He wanted it to be a surprise for Christmas. I didn't want to tell Mom, you know how she'd get, but he was enrolling in the short semester at the University. We talked to one of the head guys there and I guess Sammy made an impression." Dean said quietly as he watched how a machine helped his brother breathe. "Hey Dad… you know the safe, has he put anything in there that you know of?" he asked, disturbed by something that Sammy told him while bleeding out in the grass.

Thinking for a moment John nodded, "Yeah, as a matter of fact he did, two large envelopes. I promised I wouldn't look at them and he just said that I could if I needed to. Why?"

"Come on, I think there's something in there that we're supposed to have." Dean said as he rushed out of the ICU room and back into the waiting room. "Mom, I don't want you to see him like this by yourself, but we have to go home for a minute. Will you be ok here until we get back?" he asked hoping that she wouldn't start asking a million questions so they could leave.

Mary was concerned, but something on her son's face told her to trust him. Nodding, she handed Ellie over and settled back on the couch to wait for more news about her son. She just hoped her guys would hurry up, because there was no way she was waiting forever to go in there and sit with her boy.

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Dean had Ellie on his back as they waited impatiently for his father to open the safe. He had no idea what his little brother wanted to tell him, but he knew that it had something to do with those papers.

Finally the sound of the tumblers falling into place and the door being opened could be heard in the room. "Yes!" Dean exclaimed as he reached for the envelopes.

"Yes!" Ellie copied, and smiled at both Dean and John who were completely entranced by her.

Taking the envelopes into the dining room, Dean sat Ellie on the table and then started to pull the items out into the open. By the time Dean finished giving them quick glances, he felt sick to his stomach. Inside was a living will notifying everyone of what to do incase he was hospitalized, as well as a Last Will and Testament naming Dean sole beneficiary of anything he might leave behind, as well as giving him sole custodianship over Ellie. The other envelope had both birth certificates, one for Johnny Doe and the other Samuel Winchester, along with social security cards and a checking account that was a trust for Ellie, and his name had been added. Giving his dad the papers, Dean sat heavily in the chair.

"He's not planning on making it through this, Dad." He said shocked, the image of his Sammy as baby lying on the grass bleeding intermingled with the sight of Johnny lying in a hospital bed and he knew what his little brother wanted. He wanted to make sure his family was together, and that was what hit Dean the most. The day that Johnny had started to fully accept them as his family was the day that his life hung in the balance.


	28. Chapter 28

AN: Hope you all enjoy!!!

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Bobby and Caleb had tried to look inconspicuous while scouring the campus for clues, but somehow people weren't feeling too generous with information after one of their fellow classmates had just been put in the hospital by a sniper; it made everyone more than a little nervous.

Caleb had finally caught a break when a small group of students were talking at the small café across from where Johnny had been shot. After being shown a picture of Johnny and Cade the students finally started to tell him what they thought they saw, which confirmed what Caleb had already suspected; a hunter did this, now the question was who.

After meeting back at Bobby's truck, the two decided their time would be better spent making a few phone calls to see if they could track down a man wearing a denim jacket, leather biker boots, and a crew cut; sure… piece of cake.

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Mary sat next to her youngest son and fought the urge to cry. It wasn't fair, they just got him back and someone deliberately hurt him to the point of almost killing him. She was glad she hadn't listened to Dean and John though, there was no way she could have waited any longer to sit with her baby.

The nurses came and went seemingly unaware of the broken heart that they gingerly worked around, and that was fine. Mary didn't care what they thought; all she cared about at that moment was for Johnny… no… Sammy to open his eyes for her, to be aware again.

Thinking about the conversation that she and Dean had with Dr. Malloy, she was certain that Sam had wanted to surprise them, and if this wasn't the biggest the surprise of them all then she didn't know what was. Grabbing his hand again, she smiled through her tears before whispering close to his ear. "You know baby, the next time you want to surprise us… send flowers, less risky ok?" She wondered if there was any possible way that he could hear her, but then again she was worried that if he was conscious then he would be in pain; how could he not be after being shot and going through major surgery.

"Excuse me, Mrs. Winchester, I need to take Sam down for more scans, I'll come and get you in the waiting room when he's back."

Nodding, Mary allowed the nurse to guide her out the door and she couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time she saw her baby alive.

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Dean had known that he hadn't wanted to see the papers, but at the same time he was glad he did. He had known that he and Johnny were getting closer, but to know that he would be trusted with Ellie should anything happen made him feel overwhelmed but in a very good way. Sitting down and looking over everything in front of them, he quickly understood what his little brother was really saying; he wanted his family together.

"Alright, we have the papers so we can make sure they abide by his wishes. I think we'd better get back to your mother, I have a feeling she's already in there with… ok, so do we call him Sammy or Johnny?" John asked, knowing that it was a surprise, but they knew about it anyway.

Laughing, Dean picked Ellie up and headed for the door. "Dad, at this point he'd probably answer to 'hey you' if it was you or Mom behind it."

"YOU!" Ellie squealed and clapped her hands together once.

John watched as the little girl settled down again before he asked, "Hey Dean, should we go ahead and pack a bag for her now in case we're all up there all night?"

Thinking about the situation and putting himself mentally in front of Johnny he shook his head, "Nah, she's got a routine and she needs to stick to it as much as possible. As much as I hate the idea of not being up there with Sammy, I'll bring her back for dinner and bed."

Nodding, John agreed, Johnny had been sticking to a schedule for Ellie and it seemed to be paying off for her which allowed everyone to see the wonderful little girl she was. Smiling, he reached out and twirled one of her pigtails around his finger. "That's a good idea Dean, although I think that we can handle her for the night if you want to stay up there…"

"No offense Dad, but we have our own thing that we do when I'm home and I think that if both me _and_ Sammy were MIA she'd freak out and we'd be back to square one."

The doorbell rang catching both Winchester's off guard, making them laugh at their own skittishness. Answering the door, John was surprised to see a young man around Dean's age wearing an old faded denim jacket which was odd in itself considering how the weather had been turning colder, but adding to that was a short hair cut with no headwear at all. In fact, it struck John that it was odd that the young man didn't seem to be bothered by the cold at all.

"Excuse me, but I was wondering if Johnny Doe lived here." The man asked looking between John and Dean before his eyes settled on Ellie.

Not liking the look of the guy, especially how he was looking at the little girl in his arms, Dean practically growled, "I suggest you leave before you upset my niece; she doesn't like strangers."

John saw something flash in the young mans eyes and he suddenly understood that this was no friend of Sammy's. "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong house."

The man seemed to contemplate that for a moment before he nodded, "Yeah, alright, sorry about that. I knew I had to have written the address down wrong, after all Johnny wouldn't be able to fit in here."

Dean knew then that something was wrong, very wrong. This person was an antagonist, and he was looking for his little brother, the only question was why.

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Caleb saw Mary in the waiting room and worried that something had happened. Looking around he wasn't sure if he would be welcome, but he couldn't let Johnny's mother sit by herself looking so lost. "Hey Mary, mind if I join you?" he asked, hoping that his gesture would have the same results as in the ER with John.

Mary was startled out of her thoughts, but quickly smiled at the sight of the man before her. "Hi Caleb, please…sit. The guys haven't returned yet, and Sammy had to go for more tests."

He watched her carefully, looking for a sign of what was really going on. When she did elaborate further, he decided to press. "So I take it Dean and John took Ellie home?"

"Dean remembered something that Sammy said and they had to see what was so important." Mary kept looking towards the doorway hoping that the nurse was returning for her. "He had asked John to put a few things in the safe, and told Dean about it before they brought him to the hospital. Dean had a feeling that it was something important to deal with what's happening right now so they went to find out."

Smiling, Caleb nodded and leaned back against the couch cushions. "You know, Johnny and Cade were a lot alike. I wouldn't be surprised if Johnny had a backup plan for Ellie in case something ever happened to him." When Mary looked at him suddenly, he smiled and shook his head. "I'm not saying that's what's happening now. I'm just saying that being a single parent is scary. Everything you do directly affects another person just as much and you have a tendency to try to make sure someone else is able to take over in case the unexpected happens."

Mary hadn't thought about it that way, she had always assumed that her boy knew that if anything should happen to him that she, John and Dean would take Ellie as their own. Now that she though about it further, she realized just how much of an assumption that was, especially since she had no real idea of is thoughts about them raising Ellie.

"Don't get me wrong, it's actually a great idea. I mean, hey, I've actually been in towns that have been divided over cases like this; where a parent dies leaving children behind and there's really no evidence of their wishes of what to do. Friends who say they were to take the children, while the grandparents are right there claiming they have the right. It becomes a mess. So, if Johnny followed in Cade's footsteps, that'll be one less thing any of you have to worry about – _if_, something happens to him. I'm not ready to count the kid out."

Anything that Mary would have said was halted when she saw the rest of her family walk in the door with concerned expressions on their faces. Caleb noticed this as well and took the lead in asking what was going on.

"We went to the house and found the papers that Sammy wanted, but when we were leaving a guy came to the door asking about Johnny." Dean said, still trying to get the creeped out feeling under control. Whoever that guy was, was definitely bad news.

'No way,' Caleb thought, 'there's no way that someone would be that bold.' Pausing only for a moment, he voiced his suspicions. "Let me guess, denim jacket, crew cut, biker boots?" Seeing the surprise on their faces, he pulled out his phone and called Bobby. "Bobby, he was at the Winchester's asking questions…. No, I'll stay here and keep them covered… see if Missouri's seen anything while you're at it… yeah, you too."

Looking at the questioning gazes, he knew what he was about to say would upset this family, but they needed to know. "We're pretty certain that it was a hunter who shot Johnny, to make matter worse, he decided to knock on your door."

Realization dawned on the Winchester's and they knew that things had gotten worse. Now Sammy didn't just have a struggle for life here in the hospital, but one waiting as soon as he left as well.

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Dr. Morrison had been given a Living Will for the patient that had just been passed off to him and as he read it, he couldn't believe what it had written. Thinking that it was a joke, he quickly called the nurse's station to speak with Sam Winchester's nurse in the hopes of getting confirmation of this error. After speaking to her that she had been aware of the new paperwork, but not what it contained, he searched the documents again to find the next person he needed to speak to; Dean Winchester.

Finding the person he was looking for wasn't hard, it seemed that the Winchester family had already gained a reputation from the ER; just what he needed, overzealous family members. Approaching the small group he didn't bother to introduce himself, just jumped into the conversation. "I need to speak with Dean Winchester immediately."

Dean looked at the doctor and had to wonder what the hell had happened now. It was bad enough that his little brother was shot but some idiot hunter who even now was scoping out places to find Sammy, now he had to deal with a doctor who looked like he was about to keel over. "I'm Dean, what's wrong?"

Knowing that he'd already given the wrong impression, Dr. Morrison tried to calm everyone down. "I need to speak to you about Sam's wishes in his living will, they're a little… unorthodox to say the least."

Confused, Dean continued to look at the man with a questioning glare. He didn't like how this was going, and he knew that his Mom wasn't going to be able to deal with much more if this guy didn't get to the point. "Look, how about telling us what is exactly on your mind, then we can decide what's unorthodox."

"Have you even looked at the…" the doctor hesitated for a moment seeing the glare the man in front of him shot in his direction. "I'm sure it's an oversight but as it stands, we're not supposed to give him more than enough medicine to take the edge off of any pain that he might be experiencing. At the moment, he's on enough to ensure that he is getting a pain free rest so his body can heal. Now as Sam's Power of Attorney you can…"

"I can do a lot of things doc, but go against my brother isn't one of them. He has his reasons, and until I speak to him about changing it, the document stands. Now if you'll excuse me, I want to spend some time with him before Ellie and I head home." Dean stated as he sat Ellie on the couch with her Aurora doll.

"Mr. Winchester," the doctor began, "you don't understand…"

Sighing, Dean was too tired to play nice with others much less argue with someone who couldn't take a hint. "No, you don't understand. My brother has been through more hell in his life than either you or I combined will ever have to deal with. If he wants minimum meds, then that's what he'll get; he can always change his mind when he wakes up. Now how about you do your job, and I'll do mine." Dean said tersely while standing in front of the doctor and staring directly into the man's eyes.

Mary sat next to Ellie to watch what was happening. With John on one side and Caleb on the other, the three made a formidable sight, and she wasn't surprised when the doctor backed down. When Dean turned around to give both her and Ellie a wink before he went to see their Sammy, she knew that her youngest had done the right thing; no one could protect Sammy's affairs better than his big brother.

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Dean was thankful that his parents allowed him time with his little brother alone, he didn't want to seem selfish, but he really just needed this time without their feelings getting the way. Now as he stood by his Sammy's side he saw all the monitors that were keeping track of his vital signs, the tube that was regulating his breathing, the IV's and chest tube that stuck out and he couldn't help but wonder how much more his brother could take. Letting out a breath that he hadn't known that he was holding, he took one hand in his and squeezed lightly.

"Hey there Sammy, we need you to wake up soon kiddo, there's some people asking about you and they're not the good kind either. I can take care of Ellie, but I'm more concerned about you and this little Sleeping Beauty thing you've got going here. Yeah, I know you just had surgery, but how about you open those eyes of yours and show your quack doctor what you got." Dean watched as his brother continued to sleep and he couldn't help but feel a little resentful for it, after all it would probably be later when he wasn't there that he'd actually wake.

"He should be coming out of it pretty soon." A deep voice stated from the doorway.

When Dean looked he saw a large man in scrubs looking at a chart in his hands. Curious, he wondered who this person was and why he was interfering in this one sided brother moment.

Looking up, the man smiled and walked in to the bed. "My name is Joshua Mansfield, everyone calls me Josh. I'm Sam's nurse for this shift. So, any questions while I'm here?"

Dean looked at the man and at first had to wonder if this was a joke, this guy was huge and didn't look to have a gentle bone about him, how did he become a nurse? Having a feeling that that question wouldn't go over well if not with Josh, then with his own mother, so he decided on something a little less threatening. "So, what's with Dr. Morrison? Is he always so itchy to override a Living Will?"

Josh looked up from his notes and laughed lightly. "I do have to admit that it's a request we don't see often, but you know as far as doctors go, Morrison's alright." Seeing that his answer didn't put the man at ease he tried a different approach. "So, what was it about him that set you off?"

Looking at the other man Dean was able to see that he wasn't half bad. "Look, I don't know if he's a good doctor, but his bedside manner sucks." He saw the agreement in Josh's eyes, but suddenly didn't care anymore; the only thing that mattered was the twitch he felt in his hand. Looking down he saw it happening and took a chance to look up and see his little brother opening his eyes before locking onto his. "Hey there little brother, it's about time you woke up."


	29. Chapter 29

AN: I hope you like this one... let me know!!!

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Sam had heard the voices as if someone was talking over him which was odd in itself, but he felt his hand being held by another strong hand and he knew that was definitely strange, it wasn't until he understood that he had a damn tube down his throat that everything suddenly made sense and he realized he was in the hospital – again!

Opening his eyes he got the confirmation he needed just by the white walls, and not for the first time he wondered why they didn't bother with a different color. Did additional color cost that much extra? He didn't think so but maybe he should check the receipts when he got home, God knows they used enough paint in Ellie's room with the pink and purple… although now that he thought about it he remembered that the yellow they used cost more but he was sure that had more to do with the Disney collection that… _ok, what the hell?_

Sensing that he needed to spend some time with his brother – fast – he took a chance and squeezed Dean's hand, hoping that he would turn towards him. It took a moment, but he was rewarded for his efforts and he couldn't think of anything at the moment that he was more thankful for than his brother's voice.

When he realized that Sammy was fully aware of his surrounding, it made Dean feel a lot better about having to leave him in a little while. "Hey there little brother, are you a sight for sore eyes! Mom and Dad are in the waiting room with Ellie, she's stuck on Aurora at the moment, don't ask me why, and Bobby and Caleb are looking for the bastard that put you here, I think they know more than what they…"

Sam held up his hand. He knew that Dean was nervous just by the way he was rambling, the question was why. Now he had no idea how he was going to ask the questions that he wanted, and he was already getting antsy just lying on his back. Before he had a chance to try and let Dean know about how he felt, he heard someone walking into the room.

"Oh good, I'm glad that you're awake Mr. Winchester, now I assume that you and your brother have had a chance to discuss changing your directives in your Living Will, so if one of you would just sign here I can administer a more appropriate dosage and we'll get you feeling better in no time." Dr. Morrison said as he held out a pen and clipboard towards Dean.

Dean groaned knowing that he had forgotten to mention this to Sam. Looking at his little brother he could see immediately everything that he was feeling; and Dean was shocked by it. It wasn't just anger and disbelief, but the mixture of betrayal that was tossed in the mix that almost brought him to his knees. Shaking his head, Dean tightened his grip on his brother's hand and turned back to the doctor. "Look, you have a job to do, and that's great, but part of that is doing what's in your patient's best interest. Barging in here and getting Sam upset isn't helping. There's a reason that he had the paper drawn up that way and it stands the way that it is. He doesn't want to change it, and I for one am going to respect his wishes."

Dr. Morrison looked between his patient and his brother and wondered why he was always the one to get the stubborn cases. "Fine, we'll continue with minimum dosages. However, can I recommend that you take a full dose of a mild sedative to help you sleep tonight, you won't be able to heal if you're body is worn out."

Looking at Sam, Dean saw that his brother was asking him what he thought, trusting him to make the decision that he wasn't certain about. "I got ya bro." he whispered, letting Sam know that he understood. Turning back to the doctor he nodded, "Ok, normal dose of a mild sedative for night time use only, with the condition that he has someone with him at all times." Seeing the doctor was about to protest he held up his hand. "There's someone out there that wants my brother dead, and I'm not going to give them the opportunity to do it while he should be safe sleeping in ICU."

Thinking about the current situation and the discussion he'd already had with the investigating officers, Dr. Morrison readily agreed; he wasn't _that_ much of a hardass.

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Bobby rushed into the waiting room needing to speak to both Caleb and the Winchester's. Seeing them sitting together with Ellie close made him have a little bit of hope that they could get Johnny out of this mess without further complications. Walking up to them he smiled tentatively when Ellie saw him.

"Hey Ellie, how are you sweetheart?" he asked, glad to see that today was a fairly calm day. Seeing her quiet acceptance, he took it as a good sign and looked at the others. "I've got news." He said, trying to be quiet in case someone was close enough to overhear. "It's a fairly new hunter, a Jason Gladstone. Normally a hunter gets into the business because they're dragged into it, but from what I understand Jason's dad was one and was in with Daniel Elkins." He heard Caleb groaned and agreed, seeing the Winchester's confused looks he shook his head. "Daniel is a great hunter, never doubt that, he's just a little… overzealous at times. He's one of those who believe that if it's not natural then we need to get rid of it. Jason's dad was killed about a year ago so now it looks like the kid feels he has to take his place."

Caleb knew where this was going, and he didn't like it. "So somehow someone talked and now this Jason character has decided to take the bold approach, great."

"Wait, what does this have to do with our son? He hasn't done anything wrong… has he?" John asked, suddenly aware of the many years that they knew nothing about Sammy.

"Nah, nothing that would constitute being gunned down in the middle of God and everyone." Bobby said while adjusting his cap. "Look, this kid is trying to make a name for himself and somehow found out about Johnny's special gifts. The only thing that I can think of is that he was hoping to get more information from you when he went to the house today. When you didn't give it to him, he started searching other places. I have to tell you, he's not being subtle about what he's after and I think that we can probably find him pretty quick if we leave right now."

Mary couldn't believe what she was hearing, but then again she could. After all, hadn't her own brother admitted that her baby was special? Knowing this didn't make her feel any better though and she pulled Ellie closer in hopes of keeping her a little safer.

John knew that someone who was obsessed with a goal normally didn't give up easily. "I'll fill in Dean and we'll see about keeping someone with Sammy through the night." He said, getting up from the couch. Before he walked towards the door though, he turned to the hunters. "Find this maniac and make sure he can't hurt my family."

Both Caleb and Bobby knew that they had permission to do whatever was necessary to deal with the threat, but then again, they hadn't asked. Looking at Mary, they waited a moment before she looked at them and they knew that she had no misguided notions about what could happen, but she nodded anyway and let them leave in peace.

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Bobby filled Caleb in on how he had asked Missouri who she thought was behind Johnny being shot and she had come up with a name but nothing else. It had been enough though to steer him in the right direction, to namely Ellen Harvelle who had been hearing rumors about a new hunter who seemed to take it personally when questioned about his methods; mainly he didn't care who or how many innocent people got hurt as long as he killed his target.

Caleb knew that Johnny had been in trouble, but now he understood just how bad it was; they needed to find this guy and fast. "So, where do you think he is?" he asked, knowing that Bobby had an idea of where they needed to start first.

"This kid seems to have been stalking Johnny for the last couple of weeks. The only places that he's been are the doctor's, the school, home…"

"Bobby, c'mon… we all know the kid doesn't go party anymore, but how could we have missed this? If this guy is as obvious as we think, then we should have seen something."

The older hunter nodded, "Exactly, which makes me wonder if the guy is getting information from somewhere else. It's the only thing that makes sense, and we know that it wouldn't take much for one of their friends to mention something here or there."

"Ok, so where are we going to check first?"

"Winchester's garage."

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John walked into his son's room and watched as Dean tried to fill in his brother about what had been going on. Smiling, he couldn't help but wonder if this was what his eldest had been doing the whole time he'd been there. "Is this a private party or is there room for one more?"

Dean started to laugh and turned to his brother, "I don't know Sammy, think he can hang with us or are we enacting the 'No Old Zone'?"

Sam tried to smile around the tube but he was still able to get his point across when he gave Dean the middle finger.

"Hey lookie there, the physical therapy is paying off! Good for you Sammy, but really, should we let Dad in, or make him stay outside with the uncool?" Dean joked, enjoying that his little brother was awake and able to interact with them.

Smiling, John thought that he was witnessing the greatest sight in the world. Even though his youngest boy was laid up, it could have been so much worse; and even his oldest son had changed since their family was pieced back together. "So I hear that there's a Sam Winchester here, anyone knows who that could be?" he asked and smiled wider when he saw Sam roll his eyes. "Hey there kiddo, good to see you awake…how are you feeling?"

Sam held out a hand and see sawed it to show that he wasn't sure. After listening to Dean he was actually surprised that he was still around to begin with, so he wasn't going to complain about a little discomfort. He looked up at the man that he was starting to accept as his Dad and wondered about what was causing the man unease.

Seeing his son look at him so astutely he knew he needed to get this over and done with, waiting wasn't going to help anyone. "Bobby and Caleb think they know who did this and it's not someone that the local law enforcement is going to be able to deal with." He said, knowing that he wouldn't have to explain what he meant. "They've gone after him, but I'm not sure exactly how they're going to track him down."

"Don't worry Dad, we'll take turns with Sammy here and make sure the creep doesn't even get close." Dean was confident that they'd be able to protect his little brother, how hard would it be?

"I take it you're another one of Sam's family members?" a deep voice asked from the doorway. "I'm Josh, Sam's nurse. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but there are a couple of officers that got wind that he's awake and want a few words with him."

John couldn't believe what he was hearing, it was bad enough that this mountain posing as a man was claiming to be a nurse, but to hear that the cops were wanting to question his son when he obviously wasn't up for it was just too much. Looking at the nurse he was about to express his feelings on the subject when the man smiled.

"The way I figure, a person can't be harassed by the cops if he's asleep, right Sam?" Josh asked the young man lying in the bed. When he got the thumbs up, he knew he made the right call. "Alright, how good are you at playing possum, 'cause I figure they'll be here in about five minutes. Afterwards you can still visit with your family before we send you into la la land for real, how's that?"

Sam had a good feeling about this guy and he normally didn't do the whole quick trust thing, but at the moment he was willing to risk it. Shaking Dean's hand to get his brother's attention, he tried to convey his question. It took a moment, but he was confident that the other man finally understood.

Dean didn't do pantomime very well, and he really had it rough when the one trying to get a point across what laid up in a hospital bed, but something told him what his brother wanted to know and we was happy to make sure it happened. "Hey Josh, we're going to make sure that someone is with my brother around the clock. So, if something happens, they can just page you, right?"

Josh couldn't help but laugh, "Man, I'm surprised you don't have a full armada guarding him right now. Don't worry, I can work around anybody if I need to they won't bother me; as long as they don't get him worked up in the process."

Seeing that they had reached an understanding, the Winchester men felt better already about the night that was starting to make its presence known, before they could say anything else however, two detectives walked in wanting to talk to their witness.

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It hadn't taken them long to get to the garage and explain what was going on. Mike had already heard from John what had happened to Johnny and had a feeling that people would start asking questions. When asked about any strangers coming around for the past couple of weeks, he couldn't think of anyone at first until he remembered a customer that his nephew had dealt with.

When Derrick heard what had happened, he felt awful; Johnny was a good guy and he couldn't think of anyone who would want to hurt him. As he spoke to the two friends of the Winchester's he understood what they needed to know and told them what he knew.

"A couple of weeks ago this guy walks in with this older Monte Carlo claiming that it was making a knocking sound, but only when it was on the highway. Mike and I both thought that was strange so I decided to take it for a spin with the guy to see if I could hear it, no big deal. So we're driving around and he mentions that we looked busy and if maybe we in need of another mechanic. That was weird in itself because if he was asking about a job, he should be able to fix his own car. I mentioned that we were just a little bit short handed because one of our guys got hurt on the job but would be back soon, and that seemed to make the guy almost… happy. I tell you it was weird, but what really got me was when we got back to the garage he asked for a written estimate for how much diagnostics would be as well as how long it would take. Mike was busy, and John was on a parts run so I went into the office and wrote up what he wanted but when I held it out to him it was like the guy had no idea what it was. Almost like something else had grabbed his attention, you know? I thought maybe he had ADD or something but then he asked if it was my office and I laughed at the guy, I mean really." Derrick shook his head, he had a bad feeling about where this was heading, but he had no idea why.

Caleb knew that the kid hadn't known what was going to happen, and instead of knocking some sense into him asked, "Do you think we could see the office?"

Mike and John shared the office and it showed with as much clutter was piled up, but something caught both hunters' eyes and they knew they were on the right track. In the corner on the wall at perfect eye level for someone sitting at the desk was a picture of Johnny, Dean and Ellie together at a park smiling into the camera. A wonderful family moment captured forever to anyone in the normal world, but another lead to their prey if you're a hunter on a hunt.

Leaving the garage, they knew who they had to speak to next, and it wasn't going to be pleasant; Dean.


	30. Chapter 30

AN: I know this is a short one, but I hope you like it anyway.

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Dean knew that he had to leave his brother in order to get Ellie home and settled, but that didn't make him feel any less like he was abandoning him. He knew that Sammy had agreed with arrangement wholeheartedly as soon as he saw the relief in the kid's eyes, it just didn't set well that he couldn't be in two places at once; that would have taken care of everything, but thrown the world of its axis at the same time. He thought about that for a moment before laughing at that notion, in his opinion the world could only become better with two of him.

Hearing something fall on the floor, he turned to see that Ellie had thrown her cup across the table and onto the floor below. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself for what was about to happen. He really wished that Sammy was there with him at the moment, he was always able to steer Ellie back to the mood that she was in, while it seemed like a battle of wills with him. "Ellie, you know that was wrong, now help me clean it up and we can finish dinner." He said calmly waiting for her either to get off the chair, or throw a hissy fit, when neither happened he wondered what was so different today. "Ellie?"

The sound of the doorbell echoing through the house startled both of them and Dean wondered when he suddenly got so jumpy. Looking at the little girl in front of him, he could tell that she was hanging on by a thread and that didn't make him any happier with whoever was at the door.

"Come on Ellie; let's get you ready for bed, whoever they are can wait." Dean said as he helped her off the chair and guided her through the house pointedly ignoring the doorbell. "You know little princess, some people are so rude." Although Ellie didn't say anything, he could tell she agreed wholeheartedly.

After laying out three nightgowns, Ellie picked the Jasmine which made Dean smile suspecting that she had done it to make him happy since it was the last movie they had sat down and watched together by themselves. "Alright, Princess Jasmine it is. Now the tough question, to brush or not to brush." It took Ellie a moment before she crawled into bed with her pigtails still intact. "Ok, we're going to be a rebel tonight, cool."

It didn't take Ellie more than a few minutes to fall asleep, showing Dean what he already knew; their little princess had a tough day. Sighing, he was glad that whoever it was had finally left, they had been getting on his last nerve. Pulling a beer out of the fridge he looked at the mess that was drying on the floor and knew that he needed to get it cleaned up before his mom came over tomorrow or there would be hell to pay. Apparently she had no problems telling them when they forgot to take the trash out or vacuum in the hallway, even though if he was honest, it was usually him who forgot; who knew that Sammy was such a domestic?

Hearing his cell phone, he quickly answered it hoping that it wasn't the hospital. Seeing that is was Caleb, he let out a long relieved breath and answered. Having only a short and curt conversation, he quickly cut the call and grabbed a rag out of the drawer and wiped up the mess before grabbing two more beers and unlocking the side door.

Caleb was the first one who walked in and he didn't look to be in a friendly mood, but it was Bobby that took Dean by surprise. The older man looked as if he could chew through nails and ask for dessert. Handing them the beers, Dean was surprised when they both drank theirs quickly before tossing the bottles in the trash.

"Dean, we have to talk, and we need you to be honest; no matter how much it hurts. We can't protect Johnny and Ellie if you hold out on us." Bobby said tightly as if every word was being forced out of his mouth. "Have you talked to anyone about Johnny, maybe about what's been going on or…"

"Wait… what? You came over and start asking me questions that I have no idea where they're coming from. Can one of you start from the beginning so maybe I can catch up?"

Caleb looked at Bobby then nodded, "Ok, here's the deal. We know that this Jason character was following Johnny for a couple of weeks, he was at the garage asking questions and he was in your dad's office and got a good look at the nice little family photo of you, Johnny and Ellie at the park. Now we need to know if you've talked to anyone about Johnny!"

Stunned, he couldn't believe what he was hearing, "You think that I did this? You think that I went around blabbing to anyone and everyone about my little brother?" Dean asked before he sat down suddenly. "Damn, you're right, I did. I've told my friends in the department about how proud I am of him, you know. I mean come on, most people wouldn't take on everything that he has, and it's awesome; of course I'm going to brag. But let me tell you something; the guy that came to the door isn't anyone that I've ever seen before."

Bobby knew what Dean was saying, he did what every normal person in world would do and now it's biting them all in the ass. "Ok, so now we just figure out who said what then we can…"

Dean was already on the phone calling his friends that he knew he had said the most to. It wasn't until one of them mentioned that he had told one of the other guys about what Sammy had been through and that's why Dean was determined to stay close to his little brother from now on, that they felt they had a solid lead. Leaving Dean with Caleb and Ellie, Bobby took off to try and track down the guy in question in hopes of finding out exactly what Jason knew and possibly what his next move would be.

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Mary had fallen asleep in the chair by Sam's bed over half an hour ago giving John a glimpse into the past. Smiling he looked at his son who still wasn't able to vocalize, but had a knack of getting is point across anyway.

"You know, your mother would fall asleep while she fed you at night." He said quietly, "seriously, she'd tell me that she'd get up with you and about an hour later I'd find her asleep in the rocking chair still snuggled up with you in her arms and the bottle lying on your chest. You didn't seem to mind though; you would just lay there and look at her as if she was the most amazing thing in the world."

Seeing that his son wanted to say something, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pencil. What he got back was one word that had him kicking himself. "Sammy, you have nothing to feel sorry about; you didn't do anything wrong. I guess I was hoping that I could ease you into this, but that's not how you are so I'm just going to have to jump in. I know that you've been worried about tuition and books, but I want you to know that your mom and I got you covered."

Sam had no idea what was happening, one minute they were talking about a memory from when he was a baby and now they were heading straight into a conversation about school tuition. Confused, he motioned that he didn't understand and was still puzzled by the response he got.

"I know, it doesn't make sense, but it will. Sammy, the day you were born I took some money and opened a savings account for you; I did the same the day your brother was born. Every month we put money in those accounts, even after you were taken. Sammy, what I'm trying to say is that you have the money to go to school, I just hope you'll let us do this one thing for you." John watched as his youngest shook his head before he wrote on the page and gave it back. Smiling, John nodded, "Alright, not for you then, for Ellie. We'll send you to school and you help all those kids out there who have been given up on, deal?"

Joshua stood outside the room and smiled as he watched the two Winchester men shake on the agreement. He knew that he was supposed to be impartial, but it was so damn hard with this family. Sighing, he allowed himself a moment before he turned around and prepared his report, it was already overdue.


	31. Chapter 31

AN: Hope everyone likes this chapter... let me know!

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Dean hated the idea of having a babysitter around, especially when it was for him, but under the circumstances he could overlook it with the understanding that it was mainly for Ellie; he could endure anything for their little princess. He knew that Caleb had already double checked the property boundaries to make sure that nothing stood out as being disturbed. He had to hand it to the hunters, they were thorough.

With Ellie sleeping, Dean made sure that the baby monitor he and Sammy had set up was on, and settled in on the couch with a beer and the remote determined to try to keep his mind off his little brother; so far it wasn't working, but a guy had to have goals, right? Hearing the door open, he already had his gun trained at the doorway even though he already knew that it was Caleb.

"Come on man, don't you know that if you're going to shoot someone you should at least look at them?" Caleb joked as he dropped onto the couch next to Dean.

"Why, with as big of a target as you are, I doubt I could miss." Dean said with a smirk.

Caleb acted wounded with Dean's remark, but he knew that it was a good sign that the kid was starting to feel better about the whole situation of not being at the hospital with his brother. "So how's she doing?" he asked, hoping that the little girl upstairs wasn't too agitated.

Glancing up at the ceiling, Dean let out a sigh. "Well, she knows that he's not here and she's not thrilled with it, but I know it would have been a whole lot worse if I wasn't here too." He looked over at the other man and saw that he agreed. "You know, the beer's in the fridge, the waitress has the night off."

Laughing, Caleb nodded and got up to get himself and Dean a couple of beers, somehow he knew that neither one of them were going to sleep tonight. "So, what's in the DVD player tonight?"

"Well, you know we have a wonderful collection. So, what do you say, Aladdin, The Lion King or Fox and the Hound?"

"Wait...what? You mean you guys actually got her to watch something that didn't have a princess, or someone singing in it?" Caleb asked shocked, "How'd you manage that?"

Dean shrugged, "At first we thought it was because of Todd, but we actually thought we heard her giggle at Copper." When he saw the question on Caleb's face, he smiled. "We were in the kitchen, and you know what they say 'if a tree falls in the forest while no one is around, does it make a sound?' So, instead of making a big deal about it, we tried to wait to see if possibly it would happen again."

Somehow he knew that it hadn't been easy for them to sit back and wait, "So, any ideas of how to possibly make it happen again?"

"Yeah, maybe… any ideas how to house break a puppy?"

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John watched as his youngest child slept and he had to wonder about the hunters who claimed to be friends while others saw his son as a threat. Not knowing if he'd ever understand the mentality of others, he tried to keep his thoughts away from the actual circumstances and concentrate on the here and now.

Mary quietly woke and watched her husband as he sat vigil by their Sammy's bedside and couldn't help but remember the first time that John had done that. The first night Sammy was home, John had insisted that everyone leave the new sleeping baby alone. That would have held more weight if Mary hadn't seen John in the nursery standing there watching their baby boy sleep the whole night. Now though their baby boy has grown, but she still sees the resemblance of then and now.

"How is he John?" she whispered, not wanting to disturb her son who seemed to have finally fallen asleep.

Looking at Mary, John smiled, "His vitals are strong and he's sleeping soundly for now. I don't know sweetheart, the doctor is enthused but I can't help but feel like something's about to go wrong."

Nodding, Mary knew exactly how John felt. Ever since they had been told that Sammy had come out of surgery she had worried that something or someone was going to try to take her baby again. She knew it was an irrational fear, but considering their history she knew that it wasn't too far fetched. Instead of answering though, she stood on the other side of her son and smiled at her husband while they both held Sam's hands and waited for another day to dawn.

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Josh knew that he had waited too long to report in, and now he was wishing that he just conveniently 'forgot' to call in altogether.

"_You were to make sure you're there his whole stay."_

"Look, I already wrangled the extra shift, but there's no way they're going to agree with me being here the whole time; the kid is sick and he could be here a week or longer."

"_Damn it, why so long?"_

Looking at his phone in disgust, Josh answered in disgust. "Let's see, maybe because the kid got shot in the chest and only by a one in several thousand chances that he's alive now."

There was a long pause from the other end of the line before the other person finally spoke again. _"I had heard that but didn't believe it, is it really that bad Josh?"_

"Look Brian, I've been doing my best to make sure that the only ones who are close to him are the ones who should be, but I have to tell you man, it hasn't been easy. He has hunters as friends and hunters as enemies and you don't even want to get started on the people that he's supposedly friends with here in town."

"_What friends?"_

"Man, if you want to find that out, then you really need to do the legwork yourself; I'm on babysitting duty remember? Look, you're worried about your nephew, I get it, but you need to make a decision; are we in or are we out?"

"_I'll let you know, until then just keep Sam alive."_

The call was immediately cut leaving Josh feeling more frustrated than he had been before getting grilled for half an hour over the phone. Sighing, he looked at the time and knew that his lunch was over but he still needed to grab a sandwich before heading back. After all, everyone knew a hungry Josh was not a good thing.

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Jason knew that his target was still alive, that was obvious. His problem at the moment was trying to figure out why these people cared so much for this freak enough to protect him; it wasn't like he was actually human. He could never understand people and how they let their emotions get in the way of doing what was right. After all, people like this Johnny wouldn't hesitate to bring their Lord and Master to surface if given half a chance, so it was actually a public service to put them down before their powers came into full force.

He had actually thought he had this one taken care of awhile back, but he had gotten away and disappeared for awhile, even his friend Cade didn't know where he was for a couple of weeks. Thinking about what he had initially planned for Johnny Doe was minor compared to what he now thought about doing. Before he would have entertained the idea of making it a quick and somewhat painless death, but now, after seeing how he had integrated into normal society, he knew that he needed to make him pay.

If he had any regrets about what he would do was the little girl. He had heard from a co-worker of Dean's that she had some form of Autism and it was taking the whole family pitching in to make sure she had a decent life. That was one thing that he grudgingly could give the freak credit for, he was trying to make that little girl's life better; not all people were like that. Feeling angry for the small amount of admiration he was starting to feel for his prey, he quickly glanced around the diner he was currently eating breakfast in. How many of these people had a clue to what was really hiding in the shadows, or worse in broad daylight? Not many he was certain. Getting up to pay his bill his gaze settled on someone that looked slightly familiar, and although he couldn't think of who it could be, he knew it was time to go.

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Bobby had been trying to track Jason down the whole night, and he finally found a stronger lead which led him to bar in a part of Lawrence that he hoped the Winchester's never found out about. It didn't take too long for him to find out that Johnny had already done business with a few of the more colorful people with no ill will, but Jason apparently had already burned a few bridges and would be needing to watch his step while he was in town.

Feeling as if he was on the right track, he allowed himself the luxury of checking a few other places to get a feel for where the boy hadn't been. Seeing that he had been right in his theories, he quickly went back to where he left off and started his search again. After several hours and not enough coffee later, Bobby was ready to give it a rest for while. Pulling into a small out of the way diner, he walked in and couldn't believe his luck; sitting in the back corner was the very person he was looking for.

Picking a corner booth at the front of the diner, Bobby was able to see everyone inside and especially Jason himself. It unnerved him that the kid didn't seem to care too much about his surroundings, and was actually lost in his own thoughts. 'Fool kid's going to get himself killed with his lack of attention.' He thought as he drank his coffee and waited for his meal.

He had just finished his breakfast and the equivalent to a pot of coffee when he saw Jason stand up and casually glance around. It didn't take a genius to see the kid had made him, but what puzzled Bobby was the fact that either he thought he was really being casual, or he really didn't care about being seen.

Quickly leaving enough money to cover his check, Bobby followed Jason out into the parking lot. It didn't take him long though to realize that the kid had disappeared. 'What the hell?' he thought, 'I was right behind him, where'd he go?'

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Dean and Caleb both had their guns trained on the door at the first sound of it being opened, scaring Mary in the process. "Mom! What the hell… are you ok?" Dean asked, unnerved that his own mom had been in the line of fire even if only for a second.

Shocked, it took Mary a moment to pull herself together. "I'm fine Dean; I just didn't expect to be a target so early in the morning." She said flippantly, trying to lighten the men's moods. "Your brother slept through the night, and that nurse Josh says he's already showing signs of improvement."

Looking at Caleb in somewhat surprise, Dean shrugged his shoulders with a bewildered look before turning his attention back to the issue at hand. "Uh, Mom… not that you're not welcome, but what are doing here?"

"To watch over a certain little girl while you're at work, you know that."

Rubbing his face with one hand, Dean quickly looked at the calendar on the fridge before shaking his head. "Mom, you got this week and last week mixed up, I'm off for the next four days."

Shaking her head Mary simply said, "Nope, you switched with Sal Jenkins so he could be with his wife when she had the baby. I heard all about it from Sal's grandmother at church."

Dean thought about it, and then looked at the clock. "Ah damn it! I'm going to be late, and Ellie's not up yet. What about Sammy mom? I was planning on spending time up there with him, but now I won't be home for a couple of days."

Caleb watched Dean go from calm and cool to wound up like a top in only a few moments. "Dean, don't worry man, I'll help your mom with Ellie. You know as well as I do Johnny's not going to let you risk your job over him."

Dean knew that Caleb was right; his little brother had been extremely stubborn about the whole idea of him taking any unnecessary time off from work. He just didn't feel right though about leaving his family in a lurch like this. "You know, I'm sure I can take the…"

"Go Dean! We'll manage just fine for the little amount that you'll be gone." Mary said with more confidence than she felt. Her boys had their own system when it came to Ellie, and a lot of it had to do with an instinct of what she needed at whatever time, and no one else had been able to tap into that yet. As she watched her oldest boy head upstairs to get ready, she was startled when she heard Caleb next to her.

"Don't worry Mary, you're not alone, and I'm sure between the two of us we can give Ellie whatever it is that she needs." Caleb said quietly, while at the same time wondering if they both were just deluding themselves. 'Johnny, you better get well quick, this family needs you more than you know.'


	32. Chapter 32

AN: Hope you like this one... enjoy!!!

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Dean was more than a little surprised by the reception he got at the firehouse, not to mention the sight of a full crew already accounted for. Puzzled, he was about to ask why everyone was staring at him like he was an alien when the door to the Captain's office swung open and he heard the man bellow.

"Winchester, what the hell are you doing here? Get your ass back up to the hospital or home to that niece of yours. You're not on the roster for another four days, and if you need more time call; until then, don't show your face here, got it?"

Stunned, Dean looked around and saw the nods of agreement on the other faces and he didn't know what to say, but tried to anyway. "That's really nice and all Captain, but…"

Captain Smythe wasn't in the mood to hear it. Dean had only been in the department for a short time compared to the others in his house, but had already shown an understanding of the brotherhood and fellowship they shared, not to mention the drive to do his job and do it well; there was no way he was going to allow that to go unnoticed. "Dean, we all know what's going on. You're parents might be next door, but Ellie only responds to certain circumstances to you or your brother. Now in case you haven't noticed, your brother is in the hospital after being shot in the chest by some maniac that the cops haven't found yet. I don't know about you, but if that happened to one of my brother's, I'd be haunting either his hospital room or making sure that his little girl was as comfortable as she could be. Now, do I have to make it any plainer?"

Shaking his head Dean understood and felt extremely grateful. "Uh Captain, if it's alright, I was hoping to bring Ellie around and let her meet the guys and Rusty." He had a feeling he already knew the answer and wasn't disappointed when the guys all readily agreed.

Smiling, Captain Smythe nodded in agreement before answering, "Just make sure to bring a fresh bone while you're at it, ok?"

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Mary had no idea what had set Ellie off this morning, but the dining room had bits of eggs and jelly everywhere. It had taken Caleb to physically remove the little girl from the table and take her in the living room before she stopped screaming and throwing herself around. Trying to think about what happened the moments before everything hit the fan, she wondered if possible it was something as simple as where they had been eating. She knew the boys usually ate in the kitchen either at the small table or the breakfast bar.

"Caleb, have you ever noticed the boys and Ellie eating in the dining room before?" she asked, hoping for an answer to the outburst. There was a pause while Caleb finished cleaning the jelly off Ellie's hands before he answered.

"You know, I can't think of a time they have. I know they said something about it, but it seemed like an inside joke of some sort."

Rolling her eyes, she wondered how she had missed it. It was bad enough that the boys weren't home, and Ellie obviously sensed that something was wrong, but for her to have missed where they ate was ridiculous to her. Sighing, she continued to clean up the mess while she wondered what else she had failed to notice. It wasn't that she and Ellie had problems, in fact most days they were able to go about their routine without incident, but obviously having that routine disturbed the previous evening was causing a problem this morning.

"Hey Mary, do you recognize the car outside?" Caleb asked, more than slightly distracted with Ellie still trying to keep her from using the remaining jelly as finger paint.

Puzzled, Mary glanced out the window to the car that was parked across the street under the large oak. Seeing someone sitting in the shadows of the vehicle, but not able to tell who it was she felt uneasy. "Caleb, you know there's someone in it, right?"

"Yep, that's why I wanted to know if you knew them. I didn't want to take the chance of confronting a friend who's stopped in for tea." He said as he finished with Ellie and gave her her colored pencils and drawing pad. "I'll go out the back, don't open the door for anyone no matter what."

Sitting next to Ellie, Mary refused the urge to keep watch out the window. Instead she watched as the little girl in front of her started to draw the house in minute detail and it made Mary wonder what else he would be able to do if she continued to improve. She knew that Sammy had been researching different methods to engage her, and had even started going to a support group that met a couple times a month, but the progress that Ellie had made in such a short time was phenomenal in her opinion, she spent less time staring off into space and more time drawing or playing with her dolls.

Caleb walked back in looking agitated, "Well, that went well. We need to make sure that Bobby knows we have someone watching the house. I don't want you to be by yourself even if you're just running to the store for some milk."

"Caleb, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Mary said perturbed. It was one thing for them to protect her boys or even Ellie, but to include her into the group was absurd in her opinion.

'Now I know where Johnny gets it,' Caleb thought, 'he never thought he needed to be taken care of either.' Sighing, he watched as Mary helped Ellie sharpen a pencil before he spoke again. "Mary, how do you think Johnny will feel if something happened to you while he's laid up in the hospital?" he asked, then watched as his words had the affect that he was banking on.

"Fine, but if you think I'm going to be bullied into not doing my normal activities, you have another thing coming." She said firmly, and then a mischievous smile graced her face. "So Caleb, are you a knitter, or is crocheting more your style?"

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Dean rushed up to his brother's room and was surprised to see that not only was Sam off the ventilator, but was sitting up and drinking water through a straw while their dad napped next to the bed.

"Hey Sammy, you look better." Dean said as he walked into the room trying not to wake their dad.

Smiling, Sam motioned that he was doing alright then motioned to another chair.

"Yeah, I bet your throat's a little sore. Has the doctor been in yet?" he asked while looking out towards the doorway to see if he could see anyone.

Nodding, Sam pointed to their dad and Dean understood that he'd probably get more information from Sleeping Beauty than what he'd manage to actually hear from his brother. "Everything's alright though, right?" he asked, hoping that nothing was delaying Sammy's recovery.

John barely had his eyes open when he answered, "He's doing better, but he's not allowed to talk for a couple of days at least; there apparently was slight damage when they intubated him." Looking over to his youngest son, he smiled "Hey Sammy, how you doing buddy?"

Looking over at Dean, Sam rolled his eyes making his brother laugh. "I think he's doing better Dad, he's complaining about being called Sammy."

Thinking that it was a joke, John looked between his son's waiting for someone to let him in on the punch line; when none of them fessed up he wondered what he had done for both boys to give him a hard time. "Alright you two, I think it's time we had a chat about respecting your elders." He said and wasn't prepared for both his sons laughing at him.

"I see that everyone's awake now." Josh said as he walked into the room. "Dean, have they mentioned that Sam's being moved into a regular room today?" seeing the other man's surprise he smiled, "Ah, looks like I ruined the surprise."

"Damn, are you sure that its not too soon, I mean c'mon… he just got off the vent and now…"

"Dean" Sam rasped out "knock it off."

Josh looked at Sam sternly, "Sam, keep your mouth shut or I'll have to let the doctor know."

Hearing that, Sam suddenly closed his mouth and his looked at Josh harshly. When Dean looked between the three men in concern John shook his head and explained, "Apparently our Sammy and his doctor don't get along." When Dean looked questioningly, he elaborated. "Your brother had a little problem with the doctor's bedside manner and basically told him exactly what he thought, which led the doctor to threaten sedation, which caused Sammy's arm to _accidentally_ connect with the man's face."

Dean wasn't sure which he was more surprised about, that his brother hit a doctor, that his dad hadn't done anything to stop it, or that the nurse seemed content to sic that same doctor on his brother. "Alright, has everyone lost their damn mind?" he demanded before Josh answered.

"Don't worry, I already took care of the problem, he'll have another doctor in here to make sure he's well enough to be moved. Now, I need to check on a few other patients, but I'll make sure to be back when Dr. Jackson comes in to meet you, ok Sam?" Josh said as he watched the younger Winchester closely. Seeing the agreement, he felt better about the arrangement, now if he could only convince Brian that it was the right thing to bring in their doc to keep an eye on the kid. 'Maybe I can get some sleep.' He thought, trying to remember the last time he had more than an hour's nap.

Watching Josh leave, Dean couldn't get rid of the feeling that they were being given a load of crap. Checking that his brother was alright, he stepped out of the room and followed the male nurse. He was about to call out to the man when he saw him step in the stairwell and heard him on his phone.

"You got my message… no, it's the only way to keep an eye on him… damn it Brian, I can't be here the whole time…well what do you want me to do… no, he's actually healing pretty well, must be his mother's genes… yeah, ok, I'll let you know as soon as he's settled."

Hearing the conversation and sensing that it involved his little brother, Dean didn't hesitate in flinging the door open and looking straight at the larger man, "Something you want to tell me Josh?"


	33. Chapter 33

AN: Sorry for the wait... hope it's worth it. Enjoy!

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Sam had been thankful that John had been on the phone making sure everything was fine at home when he woke up; otherwise it would have been hell trying to convey what he wanted with the stupid tube down his throat. Although he was still having trouble seeing the man by his side as his dad, he wasn't letting that ruin what seemed to be a decent growing relationship of some sort of strange caliber. He wasn't fooling himself, he knew that both John and Mary had taken it in their heads a long time ago that he was their Sammy and it hurt them on some level that he wasn't calling them Mom and Dad yet, but he just couldn't seem to get past it, at least not on any conscious level that he could think of; subconsciously was a different matter all together.

The dreams had actually started shortly after meeting the Winchester's the first time. He hadn't thought too much about it, after all there wasn't anything out of the ordinary about it besides him actually dreaming of them having a family moment here and there. It wasn't until Ellie came to live with them that the dreams had started to take on a different form, a more sinister type that often made him bolt straight up in bed with a scream muffled in his throat. After he, Dean and Ellie moved into their house the dreams started coming every night and always the same; flames everywhere and the smell of burning flesh was so thick he couldn't breathe. He had no idea what they meant, and he didn't dare talk to them about it, at least not yet.

He was relieved when the tube was taken out, and even more so when he saw Dean walk in. He had no idea why he always felt better when his brother was around, but he was determined not to take it for granted; he had done that once before and look where it got Cade. Dean had chased after Josh, making sure everything was alright, he had no doubt, and John had promptly fallen back asleep since the room had quieted so much in the past two minutes. Something though told him that there was more to his male nurse than met the eye, and he was more than a little determined to find out what it was; right after he followed his father's footsteps and took a small nap, _damn pain meds_.

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Josh wasn't sure exactly what to say and it took him a moment to really register what Dean had asked him, then it dawned on him that the other man had heard his conversation, and wasn't taking it lightly. 'Well hell's bells' he thought sarcastically, 'can my day get any better?' Looking at Dean he smiled and tried to blow it off.

"Sorry man, I'm not sure what you mean."

Dean knew what he heard, and he didn't like it at all. Josh was keeping something from them and it had to do with his Sammy. Funny how he had always thought of his little brother as his everything and disregarded his parent's claim to him. Shaking his head, he continued to watch Josh closely. "Yeah, well we both know that's crap, so how about telling me who you're really working for and how my little brother fits into everything."

Knowing that now wasn't the time or place to hand over the knowledge he had, he instead tried to walk past the other man and instead found himself pushed back against the stairwell. Surprised, he shook his head. "Dean, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to, so I suggest you move."

Shaking his head, Dean refused to budge. "Josh, my little brother was almost murdered, and now you're having secret conversations with someone about him. What am I supposed to do with that?" he asked, watching the other man closely.

"You don't need to do anything with it Dean, I'm not going to hurt Sam; I swear that's the truth. Now I need to get back to work, and that includes taking care of your brother." Josh said while trying to figure out how to convince Dean that he wasn't a threat.

Watching the other man, Dean had to wonder what was going on. Playing the conversation in his head, he picked up on a few points that he knew he would have to find the answers elsewhere; that place being his mother. 'Who is Brian, and what does he want with Sammy?'

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Mary had spoke John and found out that Sammy would have a regular room by the afternoon and she wanted to be able to surprise him with a visit from Ellie. It had taken some maneuvering, but she managed to convince the little girl that it was time for a bath and to wash her hair. Of course it was mainly the promise of seeing Johnny that helped the process along. Shaking her head, Mary wasn't sure she'd ever really get used to the idea of someone calling her youngest son by one name while everyone else called him by another.

Finishing the last bow in the hair ribbons, she was content to admire her handiwork when she heard the door open and the sounds of Dean and Caleb talking filled the house. Puzzled, she was almost to the stairs when she heard the door open again and she heard Bobby join them.

"Come on Ellie, let's see what type of trouble these guys have gotten themselves into." She said quietly, and then gently guided the little girl down the stairs into the kitchen. She noticed that when she walked in Bobby looked ticked, Caleb seemed anxious and Dean looked at her as if he'd never seen her before. "What's going on?" she asked as Ellie walked up to Dean and waited silently.

Dean knew what was coming and indulged the little girl this time. Normally, they would wait until she actually said what she wanted. It had been hard at first, but his brother had insisted that it be done and after several nerve wracking moments, and a few screaming fits later, Ellie had gotten to the point that she would let them know what she wanted even if it was just a word here or there. He had to hand it to Sammy though, he always knew what the kid wanted or needed, and never pushed an issue with her, always seeming to know when she had enough and had reached her 'wall' so to speak. Picking Ellie up he noticed the pretty ribbons in her hair and smiled. "Hey there little princess, I see you decided to get dressed up today. It must be a special occasion if you have matching ribbons in your hair." He was rewarded with her head on his shoulder as she continued to stare at the wall. Content in knowing that she was comfortable, he turned his attention to the matter at hand. "Mom, who the hell is Brian and what does he want with Sammy?"

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Jason had watched the house for as long as he dared, but it was enough. Now all he had to do was utilize what he had learned. The freak and his brother lived next door to their parents with the little girl, that was good information to know for when the time was right. Now though, he wanted to side step the situation until he knew that he could bring Johnny to him, and with him still in the hospital, it would be awhile.

He had been certain of his kill shot and when he heard that Johnny survived it solidified his knowledge that there was something evil in the boy, after all no one can survive a hit to the heart like that; unless its supernatural of some sort. Pulling into the hotel parking lot, he took the side entrance then the stairs to the eighth floor where he had a nice suite to kick back in. Normally he wouldn't be so extravagant, but with other hunters helping his prey he had decided the best place for him would be in plain sight; hence the hotel instead of his normal shady motel room. Later he'd go downstairs and have a late lunch, maybe catch the waitress from last night who had been a classmate of Dean Winchester. It amazed him how many people are willing to spill their guts to complete strangers if you show just a little bit of interest in them.

The first time he had met Holly Anderson, he hadn't been impressed, but something about her made him start asking about the town, the school, if people stayed or left after graduation. Lawrence might be a college town, but it didn't mean that it in itself had an over abundant population, and it would be nice to know if he had a large or small pool of information to work with. It hadn't taken long to get a feel for the girl who had been working to pay for school while at the same time taking care of an ailing mother. Then it was just a little bit of time before she was sharing stories about some of her classmates and what they were doing now, including the one and only Dean, firefighter extraordinaire. To hear her talk about him, he saved the world on a regular basis, fighting the evils that came to their town. He had almost choked on her hero worship but found that she was quickly becoming an invaluable source of information.

Checking the time he knew that the lunch rush would be over soon and decided to get ready. Taking a quick shower, he then dressed in his casual business attire as if he'd just got done with a sales call or a business meeting on the golf course. Smiling, he knew that even if he ran into the other hunters in the hallway they wouldn't recognize him and that was just the way he wanted it. He had always traveled light, but he had also made a point to carry whatever he might need to actually blend into a variety of different situations, even if it meant socializing with those who had more money than sense of what was really going on around them. Looking at himself once again to make certain he had everything to continue with his ruse, he made sure the 'Do Not Disturb' sign was on the door and quietly made his way out of the room.

Holly had been having the worst day, and she was more than a little happy to see that the lunch crowd was thinning out. Her mother had taken it into her head in the middle of the night to get out of bed by herself, and after two strokes in the past year, that wasn't the best of ideas. It had taken the fire department to help her get her mother back to bed, then another hour to convince her that it wasn't even morning yet and that she needed to go back to sleep. By that time, she remembered that she had the breakfast shift at the hotel which made her hope for another couple of hours sleep a non existent fantasy. Now though, after settling her mother's care giver in for the day, she had already been on her feet all morning, and had been asked to cover the dinner shift later that night. Sighing, she really wished that she could just say 'no' but the money would be good and God knew she needed it.

"Holly, you have a customer." One of the other waitresses whispered as she walked by.

Looking over she saw the man who had been visiting with her quite often lately. She knew nothing could come of it, but it was nice to have someone around who paid attention to her instead of what she could do for them. Smiling, she gathered a glass of ice water, an iced tea and the lunch menu before walking to him.

"Jason, I wasn't sure I'd see you this afternoon. Didn't you say that you had a meeting most of the day?" she asked, setting the items in front of him. He always ordered the same thing, iced tea and a BLT for lunch, water and steak for dinner. The only surprise would be what type of steak and how it would be cooked; the rest was as if he was reading from a script.

Smiling, Jason answered, "I did have meetings, but most were taken care of quicker than anticipated and a few others were rescheduled; it looks like I'll be here a little longer than I thought."

Nodding, Holly wasn't sure why that thought sent a feeling of excitement run through her, but she enjoyed it while it lasted. "Have you thought anymore about locating an office here?" she asked, pretending to help him consider his order; her boss hated it when they had conversations with the customers.

"Actually, I have been thinking about it. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to check the area for office space yet. How about you, have you been able to study like you were hoping?" he asked, putting on an air of actual interest as if speaking more to a friend that someone he needed information from.

Shaking her head she said sadly, "No, it's not that bad though, I just need to make sure I know the information for the tests and a friend of mine has been real good about making study guides for me. It'll all work out."

Looking over Holly's shoulder he saw that her boss was paying attention to how much time they were spending, and it wouldn't do him any good if she got fired. "Is your shift almost over?" he asked, and when he saw her nod he smiled. "I tell you what, after I eat lunch, why don't we get together. You can show me some of the better office sites around town; I'll pay you for your time of course."

Puzzled, she wondered if he was teasing her, but saw that he was genuinely interested in her help. Smiling, she nodded. "I'll meet you in the lobby after you finish."

Watching her go towards the kitchen, he knew that he was risking a lot but he also knew that she had information that she wasn't even aware of, and that would help him get closer to his objective. She had already given him information about the firehouse that Winchester was stationed, and even helped him get in with an acquaintance of the man. Now he needed something else to really pull everything together, the mother of the freak, and Holly was going to help him get to her.


	34. Chapter 34

Mary couldn't help but stare at her son for a moment before asking, "Brian? What's wrong Dean, why are you asking about Brian?"

Dean could tell his Mom was upset, but it didn't matter at the moment, he needed to find out what was going on. "He has someone watching Sammy and giving him information, I want to know who it is and why he's sneaking around."

Shaking her head Mary couldn't believe what she was hearing, "Dean, Brian's my brother and the last time we talked was by phone after Sam was shot. He wouldn't give me answers and I told him to either help or consider me out of his life. He chose the latter of the two choices. I have no idea why he'd have someone at the hospital."

Staring at his Mom, Dean wasn't sure what to think. He had a vague recollection of hearing something mentioned about an Uncle somewhere but he couldn't remember ever meeting him, now the guy is snooping around out of the blue; something didn't sound right. "Mom, no offense but, what does he want with Sammy?"

"I don't know Dean, he said that…" Mary hesitated and then stopped, not knowing what she should say.

"Mary," Caleb began, seeing that it was going to take some encouragement to get her going again. "what did he say? What happened between you two?"

Looking at everyone she sighed, "Dean, your father knows most of this, he wondered the same things I did at the time but neither of us knew what to do about it. Brian and I were close when I was growing up. Our parents died when I was small so our Uncle took us in but it was mainly Brian who raised me, sheltered me. It wasn't until I was a teenager that things started to change. Our Uncle and Brian would argue and I could tell it was about me but I didn't know what it was about. One day I was looking in one of the closets for something and I found a book, it looked like a family tree of some sorts but when Brian found me with it he was angry and threatened to beat me within an inch of my life if he found me with it again. After that he spent more time with our Uncle and his friends, leaving me to do my own thing. Finally I started college and Brian and I still stayed in touch, but not so much. It wasn't until after I met your father that Brian started to stay away even more, I didn't think much about it until our wedding; he didn't show up. Afterwards he'd call on special occasions and drop in only after I practically begged him, but then one day he just stopped." Pausing, she took a deep breath and continued. "You were so excited when we told you about Sammy, so we thought everyone would be. Your Uncle Brian stopped contacting our family the day we told him about your little brother."

"WHAT, why?" Dean demanded. Any slight on his brother was a slight against him and he'd make anyone pay for hurting his family.

"He only said it would be best if he wasn't around. The last time I spoke to him though he said that 'they knew Sammy was special.' I don't know who 'we' is, but I have a feeling it has to do with whatever it was he wanted to keep secret from me. I'm sorry Dean, I don't know what else to tell you." She said sadly, not liking the silence in the room, but wishing for it back as soon as she heard Bobby's question.

"Mary, what do you know about Druids?"

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Holly had no idea why she felt this way, she knew that Jason was only looking for someone to show her around, but she couldn't help but feel special driving around in the convertible that he'd rented for his stay. They had seen several office buildings, and even a few warehouses he said he could turn into office space, but nothing really stood out for his needs. Feeling a little disappointed that their time was being cut short because she had to go back to work, she tried to find something positive about the day; besides the fact she spent the afternoon with an attractive rich man, that was a given.

"Holly, I was hoping we could get together tomorrow. Maybe you could show me around the town some more and help me get a feel for which neighborhoods would be better suited for my diverse clientele." Jason said as he pulled into the hotel parking lot. "I understand if you're unable to, it's a lot to ask on such short notice."

Surprised, Holly shook her head. "Oh, it's not that, it's just that I have tomorrow off and I'd need to schedule a caregiver for my mother. Ummm…"

Seeing his opportunity flying by Jason smiled, "How about I pay you to be my tour guide for the day, and I'll even throw in lunch."

Pausing only for a moment, Holly nodded and smiled. They hadn't discussed how much she'd get paid, but for the opportunity to spend more time with him she was more than willing to put off her studying, classes, and even her mother for the day. "Alright, here's my number, call me when you're ready to head out."

Pulling out a hundred dollar bill, he handed it to her. "This is for today, I really appreciate the help." He watched as she took the money as if it was actually gold and then disappeared into the hotel lobby where he knew she'd barely make it for her shift. Pulling back out of the lot he pointed the car in the nearest direction out of town; after all it wouldn't do if she knew that he had already found a place that suited his needs. The warehouse was actually in an older part of Lawrence that had suburbs popping up around it, and it was perfect. No one really saw what was going on in front of them, so he could come and go as he pleased; and today it pleased him to no end.

Walking inside he quickly jogged up the steps to the upper level where all the information he'd accumulated was already laid out. The pictures of Johnny's 'family' was tacked to the wall along with the schedule that the freak was supposed to have started already at the University. A map of Lawrence was taped to the wall with the fastest routes around town marked in blue and emergency escape routes marked in red. His father had taught him not to fly by the seat of his pants while hunting, it would only get him killed; so instead he liked to plan in great detail every possible scenario ahead of time.

Mulling over the new information that Holly had volunteered, he located the places that her mother and Mary Winchester frequented; apparently before her strokes, Holly's mother was into charitable functions and was good friends with the other woman. This was good news for him; it narrowed down the playing field considerably. If all else failed, he'd go after the mother, and Johnny will of course follow. He knew the plan would work, his only real concern was the other two Winchester men, and he was pretty certain he could bring at least one of them to his way of thinking; of course if he was wrong then he'd just have to take care of them too.

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Mary looked at the hunter puzzled, "Druids? What does that have to do with anything?"

Sighing, Bobby looked at Caleb and understood that this was going to be a little more difficult than they thought. "Mary, your family comes from a sect of Druids and from what we've been able to tell, they weren't the nice peace loving group that we see around sporadically now. This particular group liked to deal in serious dark arts, and our guess is that's what your brother was trying to keep you from finding out."

"Dark arts? What the… you have got to be kidding me?" Dean asked the hunters "Seriously, what does that have to do with my brother?"

Caleb really didn't want to start this conversation, but he knew that it was needed, he just hoped they didn't screw everything up before they could figure it all out. "We're not exactly sure what it means to Johnny, what we do know is that your Uncle Brian is now the head of a small regional group, and he's been trying to keep his distance from everyone he used to know."

Listening closely, Mary couldn't help but wonder what her brother had gotten himself into, but then realized that it probably was something that he knew about from the beginning. She wasn't certain what it meant for her boys, but she was determined to find out. "So basically you have no idea why Brian's suddenly interested in Johnny."

Looking increasingly uncomfortable, both Bobby and Caleb looked at each other, and then back at her. "That's not exactly true; we think he wants to use Johnny's psychic gifts."

Stunned, the kitchen stayed quiet for several minutes, not even Ellie dared to make a sound. Finally, Dean had enough and echoed everyone's sentiment. "Well Hell!"


	35. Chapter 35

AN: Hope everyone enjoys this one, don't forget to let me know!!!

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Sam's first day back home coincided with Dean's first day back to work which made both Winchester households more than a little chaotic. Dean didn't want to leave his still recovering brother home by himself to take care of Ellie, but Sam didn't want a house full of people either. It had taken over an hour of very loud 'discussing' before they came to the agreement that their mom would stop in every once in awhile while either Bobby or Caleb would stick around the house to make sure Jason didn't show up and cause trouble.

John had stayed out of the argument knowing that if he'd stepped in then he'd end up alienating his youngest son. None of the others knew that it had taken Sam demanding to be released and the threat of a lawsuit for the doctor on call to grudgingly release the younger Winchester. When asked why he'd put his health at risk the young man looked pointedly at John and replied, _"If I was sick then I'd stay, but they just want me here to watch me. I can be 'watched' at home while I take care of Ellie."_ John couldn't argue with Sam's assessment, the doctor had even admitted that there wasn't anything more they could do for him except start him on physical therapy and watch to match sure infection didn't set in; both items they could handle outside the hospital. It took quite a lot of will power though for him not to spill the beans to Dean who ranted and raved about lunatic doctors and revolving door policies; will power and the look his son gave him letting him know that this was a test to see if he could really be trusted, he wasn't planning on failing this one.

Caleb and Bobby had sat in the living room and listened to the others hash things out, normally they would have laid odds on who would win, but they already knew how stubborn Johnny could be so they had no doubt about the outcome. When the decision had finally been reached, they both let out a sigh and shook their heads. Both knew that no doctor in their right mind and hoping to keep from getting a malpractice claim would have released the boy so soon, but then again… they both knew how stubborn the boy could be. So now all they could do was flip a coin to see who stayed with Mary while the other said with Johnny and Ellie.

Seeing that she wasn't going to get her way, Mary had contented herself with making a lunch for her family that could be reheated in the microwave. She knew that something was going on beneath the surface of her son's claim that he was fine, but she also didn't want him to feel pressured, so she let it drop. Taking a deep breath, she walked into the living room just as Ellie made her way down stairs humming along the way. Mary never understood what made the little become more open some days and closed off on others, but she was more concerned about Ellie missing out on the greater things that life had to offer. Suddenly she realized someone was watching her and she hesitated only a moment before she turned and saw her youngest looking at her as if he were assessing her. Although she wasn't sure what brought the sudden mistrust on, she wasn't going to back down and allowed him to continue to watch her. Suddenly he smiled and turned his attention to Ellie, leaving her to assume that she had passed.

"Hey Ellie, did you dress yourself today?" Sam asked, happy to see her acting more like her five year old self. He smiled when he saw the pink pants, orange top and to complete the look… ballerina slippers. "I see we're in a happy mood. How about you show me in a picture what you're feeling."

It didn't take long for Ellie to get off the couch and head towards her bookshelf that held all of her art supplies. The others watched her carefully to make sure nothing fell, but Sam knew that she would be meticulous in getting her paper and pencils, therefore he leaned back and closed his eyes.

"Alright, so you managed to get your way, fine little brother… but don't think that you'll get off the hook about taking care of yourself. You better get some rest, and if I have to I'll bring the whole station down here to knock you out, got it?" Dean asked, already knowing that his little brother was used to being on his own and was still having trouble accepting help on occasion.

"Dean… Go! She and I'll be alright, it's not like we're totally alone you know." Sam said without opening his eyes. He could here Ellie in the background already sketching out a drawing, he wondered if she'd color it in this time. He didn't realize that Dean had left and someone was talking to him until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"You know, I could take Ellie with me for the day…"

"Thank you, but no." he said quietly, knowing his mom meant well, but it was something he felt he had to do; he needed to know that he could still take care of Ellie.

Nodding, Mary looked at Caleb before she headed towards the kitchen. She made sure that they had everything they needed in case she was gone for awhile, she really needed to check on her friend Allison; the poor woman hadn't been out of the house since her second stroke.

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Dean's first day back at the station was a busy one and he would have enjoyed it a lot more if it wasn't for the fact that he had left his little brother and niece at home to practically fend for themselves. Ok, he knew that wasn't really true, but that's how he felt; his first day back on the job coincided with his brother's first day home and…

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath as the realization of what had been dancing around in his brain finally hit home. Trying not to let his imagination run away with him, he decided to check his facts before he jumped to conclusions; after all it could just be a coincidence, right? Yeah… and he was the Easter bunny, check out his fluffy tail! Reaching for the phone he called the doctor who had released Sammy, thankful that he had made a point to remember the guy's name since there had been so many flittering in and out after his brother had been put in a regular room.

It took a couple of minutes before a weary voice come onto the phone and after Dean explained who he was he was immediately interrupted by a suddenly very alert sounding male very anxious to talk. "Good God, please don't tell me that he's decided to sue me, I told him it wasn't in his best interest to leave so soon, but he demanded it and even threatened malpractice if I _didn't_ release him. Granted all his tests were coming back fine, but for him to now want to…"

Dean felt as if he had been kicked in the gut, and then tossed into a free fall. Hearing what the doctor said make him even more nervous about leaving his brother at home. "Wait… hold on, you mean he shouldn't be home right now?" he asked, terrified that something could happen in the amount of time it would take for their mom to check on him again. "Is that what you're saying… he should still be in the hospital?"

"Mr. Winchester, your brother was shot in the chest, sustained sever blood loss, and had only been out of the ICU for two days. If that had occurred to me, I'd want to make certain there were no complications even if the tests did come up clean."

"Ok wait… what tests, and if they're coming back fine then what's the problem?" Dean asked, wondering just what was up with this doctor and if maybe Sammy had the right idea about getting out of there.

"Look, your brother should have at least started physical therapy before he was released. You never know when a clot could develop and…"

Slamming the phone down, Dean was racing towards the bay doors determined to make it home in record time. He ignored the startled looks he was getting and instead ran to his car, peeling out of the small parking lot. Ten minutes later he was slamming his brakes in the driveway and busting through the door, barely taking the time to open the offending barrier to his brother. When he got into the house he found himself looking down the barrel of two guns in his face and the sound of a screaming little girl in the background.

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Sam hated feeling as if people were hovering, mainly because the only time they hovered seemed to be when he nearly died. Sighing, he couldn't help but think about one of the times that the doctor's had been ready to write him off which made him think of Cade, bringing a cloud of depression with it.

Cade had been his friend no matter what happened. They had faced social workers, gang bangers, spirits and even a few demons together, and the common thread had been how no matter what had been thrown at them both of them knew that the other was there no matter what was threatened or promised. He missed Cade, and wondered if he would be able to trust Dean with that intensity.

He heard Caleb in the kitchen and had repeatedly told the man to leave everything and he'd get to it later, to which the other man scoffed and continued with what he was doing. Looking over he was pleased to see Ellie concentrating on another picture, this one was the day at the park and he wasn't surprised to see how much she was trying to fit onto the page; what was surprising was the detail she was putting into her pictures lately. Sitting up on the couch he continued to watch as she continued to sketch each tiny blade of grass as if each one was the most important. Suddenly she stopped though and looked at the picture blankly as if she'd never seen it before, then got up off the floor and walked toward the back of the room. Concerned, Sam managed to get up off the couch and follow.

"Ellie? What's wrong princess?" he asked, truly concerned that he was watching her go from 'good day' to 'bad day' right before his eyes.

"Johnny, what's going on kid?" Caleb asked, trying to see why Ellie had suddenly stopped what she was doing and went to a bookshelf on the other side of the room.

Looking over at the hunter Sam shrugged his shoulder, "I have no idea. One minute she was content with drawing, then the next she's over here as if someone threw a switch."

Walking over to them, Caleb sat down next to Ellie and Johnny and just watched as the little girl stared at a particular shelf, but at nothing in particular. Not knowing what to do, both men sat back and watched in hopes of seeing something that would clue them in to what was happening.

Suddenly they heard a car scream around the corner and brake fast in the driveway. Concerned, Caleb pulled out his gun and headed towards the door as Sam reached up on the top shelf and pulled one of his down, flipping the safety off as he moved closer to Caleb. They hadn't made it fully to the door, both cursing the closed blinds, when they heard the pounding of footsteps on the pavement then the door being flung open causing Ellie to scream in fright and both Sam and Caleb to raise their weapons on the intruder.

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Josh was actually glad that Sam Winchester had been released; it gave him a rest from the constant badgering he was getting about the kid's condition. To make matters worse, he was actually starting to like the kid, a major taboo when dealing with people of Sam's ilk. He had to keep his mind focused on the job at hand, and hopefully he wouldn't have to pull out the stops to either stop the kid, or stop his uncle; because he really didn't welcome the thought of doing either at the moment, right now he was seriously thinking about retiring.

Hearing his phone ring, he hesitating in answering it only because he already knew who it was and what he wanted; it had been the same for the last several days. Somehow he was supposed to get into Dean's good graces, and then find a way to bring Sammy into the fold. He hated the idea of going that far this time; he knew that Sam was basically a good kid and if left alone he'd be able to choose for himself; that's what free will was all about. Unfortunately he was being told that free will was going to condemn the whole human race if they didn't do something about it, and the solution seemed to be finding out what abilities Sam Winchester had and if they had any link with a certain demon. Josh knew it was a formality; the consensus was that Sam's premature abilities just proved that he needed utilized quickly before it was too late. His question had been 'too late for what?'

Deciding to ignore the phone, he walked around his apartment and picked up various souvenirs from his travels to find others who possessed certain traits and talents. Some of his trips had been very successful, while others had been complete and utter disasters. Mostly though he had to wonder just how Brian thought he'd be able to keep up the charade, after all the others hadn't had an ancient agreement bound by blood hidden in their family tree.

Sighing, he knew that his family and Brian's were bound together by centuries of service, but it still didn't set well with him how the other man was willing to use his own nephew to get what he wanted. Looking around the place that he'd called home for the last several years, he made a decision and walked away from everything his family had stood for. He had someone to see, and hopefully someone to help.


	36. Chapter 36

AN: hey there... I hope you all enjoy this one... I'm not sure about the ending, but then again... when am i ever, right? See you soon! 

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Dean stood there in shock, not moving even a twitch, just in case his brother and their friend had an itchy trigger finger. Finally after a very intense moment, he saw both guns being lowered giving him a moment of relief before he was assaulted again.

"Dean, what the hell?" Sam began, staring at his brother in disbelief. "We could have killed you!"

Caleb knew that it had been close, but he also knew that neither one of them would have fired a shot without knowing for certain if he was a threat. He was just about to say something to that effect when he saw the horrified look on the other man's face.

"Sam?" Dean asked as he rushed forward to catch his little brother. "Dude, you kidding me with this?" he asked as he tried to maneuver Sam back to the couch. He suddenly realized two things; the first was Ellie had suddenly stopped screaming, the second being that Caleb was right there helping him keep his little brother from hitting the floor.

After getting Sammy settled on the couch, Dean looked over and saw Ellie was sitting in front of the bookcase just starting at it. Seeing that she wasn't in any danger or distress, he turned his attention back to the situation in front of him. "Hang on Sammy, I'll call the guys and we'll get you back to the hospital in no time."

Confused, Sam looked at Caleb then back to Dean. "What? No Dean… I'm fine!" he exclaimed as he grabbed the phone out of Dean's hand, leaving the older brother to look shocked.

"Sammy, you could have blown a clot, we need to get you…"

"A clot… God, you've been talking to that quack haven't you? Dean, I'm tired, I haven't blown anything,… yet. Aren't you supposed to be at work?" he demanded, and then groaned when the sounds of sirens reached his ears. "Dean… get rid of them!"

Dean was as shocked at Caleb looked; he wasn't expecting the whole freakin' firehouse to show up on their lawn. Suddenly both he and Sam looked at each other in horror and shouted "MOM!"

No sooner had they remembered that she had no idea what was going on, than the kitchen door banged open and their mother's shouts could be heard throughout the house, as the front door started to fill up with firefighters and medics.

"Look at this way little brother; at least you know you're loved."

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John had been under an old Plymouth for the last hour and a half trying hard to coax the exhaust system loose, but it was being more stubborn than any forty year car had the right to be. He didn't care though, it was keeping his mind away from the fact he had left his ill son at home with a mentally challenged little girl and a hunter who could very well have his own agenda. The more he thought about it, the more he really wanted to guard the kid with a loaded shotgun and an armada of Marines.

"John, Mary called… something's going on at the boys' house." Mike yelled from the office, not surprised when John tossed his tools into the tool chest and raced towards the Impala.

By the time he pulled to a stop in his driveway, Dean was talking to the medics and gesturing to the house, making John feel more than a little bit of dread. He knew letting Sammy leave the hospital AMA was going to bit him in the ass, but it was a judgment call and now he was second guessing it.

Rushing towards his eldest he could hear the ongoing argument and had to wonder exactly what it was he was hearing.

"Damn it, you have to do something… he's not well, I'm telling you he about passed out on the floor!" Dean practically screamed at one of the medics.

The other man held his ground and shook his head. "Dean man, I know he's your little brother, but he's technically an adult… my hands are tied. As long as he's conscious and refusing treatment…"

"Conscious… right… I can take care of that – hold on just a sec…"

"DEAN!" John yelled as he suddenly understood what his oldest was planning on doing it his youngest. "Dean, you really don't want to do that." Dean whirled around with such anger that John unknowingly stepped back.

"The hell I don't Dad, someone has to look after him 'cause it sure as hell's not you! You knew didn't you… the risks of him leaving so soon. Damn it Dad, what are you trying to do, kill him?" Dean was yelling loud enough for the neighbors to get more curious about what was going on, and it was making the medic feel more than a little out of place. "He could get a clot; did the doctor tell you that? How about how Sammy shouldn't have gotten out of the hospital without them knowing how he'd deal with the physical therapy. Let me guess, you thought it was just a joke… well here's some news for you… you're son almost passed out earlier! How's that for a joke?"

John knew Dean was mad, but there was no way he was going to allow him to blow everything out of proportion. "Dean, calm down! I spoke to Sammy about this before he signed the papers, it's not as if he got a whim and snuck out. You need to trust him enough to…"

"To what? Get himself killed? Dad, he's still only seventeen… we wasted too many years and now…"

The sound of his coworkers and friends coming outside distracted him from his thoughts and he wondered how his first day back got so screwed up to begin with. Ignoring everything and everyone else, he rushed back inside and looked at the scene before him. Ellie was on the couch sitting next to his little brother as they looked at their family photo album they had started that first trip to the park. Sammy looked tired, but not any worse for wear that had worried him so much; and he wondered not the first time if he'd just overreacted. Pausing a moment, he looked around the house and saw their Mom walking back into the living room with a couple glasses of juice.

"Here you go sweetie, take these and I'll see if Dean's calmed down any." Mary said quietly, enjoying the peaceful scene in front of her. Smiling, she ran her fingers through her baby boy's hair and paused only a moment when she realized that he hadn't tensed up as much as he normally would. 'Progress I guess.' She thought to herself as she turned to Dean. "So, what got you in such a panic that you had to bring the whole station with you? I thought something horrible happened the way you tore into the driveway then the fire truck pulling in not even five minutes behind you."

Dean stood dumbstruck, sure that he misunderstood; after all, this was Sammy they were talking about, anything could happen to him. His gaze shifted to the couch and he saw his brother watching him with quiet understanding with an undercurrent of amusement. 'Laugh it up kiddo,' he thought 'payback's a bitch.' Taking a deep breath Dean was just about to start his explanation when he heard one of the radio's crackle and he knew he had to go. "I'll explain later Mom… sorry Sammy!" he said turning towards the door as he met Justin at the door.

"Sorry man, we got to go… a warehouse caught fire and every station in town is being called in."

As the remaining Winchester's watched, Dean ran out of the house passing his father and Caleb on the way; as they listened, they knew Dean was in the Engine heading towards yet another fire, and they silently prayed that he and his friends would be safe.

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Mary had just returned from visiting her friend Allison and getting caught up with the going's on of their children when Bobby had received a phone call from another hunter who had heard about Jason's quest to kill Johnny and rushed out to check on the new lead, extracting a promise that she not open the door for anyone under any circumstances. She had grudgingly agreed only because she knew that her son needed Jason caught before he could actually get another chance at hurting her boy.

Sitting back, sipping her tea she was starting to go through her latest Redbook magazine when she heard the distinct rumble of the Impala. As she looked at the clock, she knew that something was wrong; Dean had only been gone most of one day, not four. Not hesitating, she called the garage to let her husband know something was going on, and then hung up before she had a chance to explain further. She had made it out the door and almost to the back door of the other house when she heard something that sent her heart dropping to her feet; sirens.

'Oh dear God no… please, please, please let him be ok.' she prayed as she rushed inside, hearing the argument coming from the other room. 'Thank you!' she prayed silently, knowing that if Sammy was arguing with Dean, then he was alright.

Now though, she had to wonder what had possessed any of them to overreact that way. Caleb was there in case something happened, and Sam knew their phone number so it wasn't as if he was helpless; now though she had to consider that it was possible that they still didn't see him as a grown man who had already seen too much, instead they saw him as a young boy who they never got to know and don't understand how he will react to anything. That didn't sit well with her, especially the way he was watching her at the moment as he and Ellie continued to look over the photo album in his lap.

"Sam… I want to say that I'm sorry for…"

"Don't." he said simply, then going back to discussing a picture that had Ellie particularly enthralled.

Surprised, Mary wasn't sure what he meant. Did he mean don't be sorry, or don't talk, or… She really didn't know and as she looked over at John, she could tell that he wasn't sure either. It wasn't until she heard him sigh and ask Ellie to go upstairs and find her bear that she knew they were about to find out what was actually going on her son's head.

They waited until Ellie was upstairs and listened for the sound of her opening the bedroom door before the silence was broken again, and what the two oldest Winchester's heard tore at their hearts.

"I know you're worried, I get that… but with you trying to hover I feel like you're trying to take Ellie away and I can't have that." Sam admitted quietly, looking at both his parents and waited for the outbursts he knew would come; either he was right and he needed to find a way to get Ellie out of there, or he was paranoid and needed to get his head back on straight. Either way, it was going to be a long night.

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Dean had been ordered out of the building and he was more than a little thankful for it. They had arrived on the scene and had quickly been informed that it was a serious case of arson caused by a chemical accelerant that wasn't responding to the usual protocols; whoever did this wanted to make a statement, and it was working. Everyone had been rotated routinely, mainly in the attempt to keep people as fresh as possibly as they tried to keep the fire contained to the one building. 

They all were hot, tired and running on adrenaline; not a good combination for when they were pulled out and forced to re-hydrate themselves, since any sudden drop in adrenaline levels could actually trigger a heart attack. Everyone watched out for each other, and even kept a close eye on any guy who had to man the truck after being out on the line. The only thing that Dean could think of as a benefit to this whole event was he didn't have time to worry or even think about his little brother and what could have happened today. As he took a final gulp of the drink in his hand, not able to tell if it was just water or a sports drink, he looked around and saw his Captain in a heated argument with a police officer who seemed to think they weren't doing enough to keep as much evidence intact.

Shaking his head, Dean couldn't understand some people. If they concentrated on keeping 'evidence' intact, then most of the block would be engulfed by now and the same cop would be chewing them out for not doing anything about it. Hearing a yell off to the right he knew it was time to get back in the game, the flames were trying to jump again which meant another building was at risk and none of them really wanted to wage a full fledge war on more than the one warehouse. Tossing his cup to the side, he rushed forward to help get more hose in position; maybe they could head it off and give the decision makers some time to come up with a really great plan… maybe. It was going to be a long night.

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John heard his son's statement and he hesitated, what do you say to someone who is wondering if you're going to take everything that matters to him away? He saw his wife look stunned and he knew that she felt the same way. Watching his son he then thought that he was closer to understanding why he left the hospital so early.

"Sammy, do you really think that? That we'd take Ellie from you?" John asked as he watched his son closely.

Sam looked over and didn't answer, how could he? The only people he'd really ever known had their own agenda for being helpful, everyone except Cade. He'd pulled him out his own personal hell more than once and he'd never got the chance to repay him. The only thing he felt that he could do now was to watch over Ellie as he'd promised, not that he needed a reason; Ellie was as much his as Cade's if not in body then in heart and soul. He'd give up everything for Ellie, even a family who seemed determined to make him accept them when more times than not they made him nervous.

Mary watched and saw the truth in her son's face and she wanted to cry. They had known that he was suspicious of their actions, but they thought they were heading in the right direction when Sam had agreed to stay close by. Now she realized that they had been pushing, and if all he'd ever known was deceit from people who were supposed to care about him, then it was no wonder he was nervous. She looked at her husband and suspected that he thought the same thing. Nodding, she smiled a little and reached over to grasp her boy's hand lightly.

"Sam, we only want to help. We don't think that you're unable to care for Ellie; in fact we know that you're the only one who can most days. I guess we got so carried away in the fact that you're back with us that we forget that you need some air to breathe." She said, trying to convey that she spoke honestly and from her heart.

Puzzled, Sam looked between both his parents and was amazed by the understanding he saw there, it actually confused him. He had been so concerned about their ulterior motives that he had completely forgot that they might actually be truly concerned with him and Ellie just because he was their son and she was a part of him. Putting that in perspective he actually felt bad for doubting them, but then that portion of him that remembered being fooled before started to surface again and he started feeling torn between allowing them the benefit of the doubt and self preservation. He was about to voice his opinion when he noticed his father look up towards the stairs signaling that they were about to have company. Nodding, he could tell that they were willing to put the rest of the conversation on hold, and he couldn't help but feel thankful for that; Ellie didn't need to be caught in the middle.

The watched as the little girl made her way downstairs holding the bear tightly in her arms and then climb up onto the couch next to Sam. They weren't sure what to make of her when she paused only for a moment before leaning up against him and closed her eyes. A collective sigh sounded in the room as the tense moment from before faded to a more calm and gentle one, leaving its occupants feeling content in more ways than one.


	37. Chapter 37

AN: I hope everyone enjoys this one. A quick shout out to Sammygirl1963 since she's out a about doing something she loves... enjoy!

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The fire was front page news the next morning which was mostly ignored by most of the town's population; after all, a fire in an old warehouse wasn't anything new, right

The fire was front page news the next morning which was mostly ignored by most of the town's population; after all, a fire in an old warehouse wasn't anything new, right? The only thing of interest to some of these people was the fact that it had taken their fire department talking to another department in Las Vegas about a solution to fighting the blaze, since they had fought a similar one fairly recently. Those were of course the same people who shook their heads and complained that it was a shame that their boys hadn't been given the adequate training to take care of it themselves and they shouldn't have to rely on other people to bail them out of a jam. Of course, these were the same people who called the fire department to get their pet cat out of trees, and their toes unjammed from the tub's facet; so it was no wonder why the firehouses of Lawrence would have scoffed at the condemnation sent their way; if they weren't already asleep, worn out from fighting the blaze all night.

It wasn't until Firehouse 53 got a call about a baby locked in a car that the firefighters woke up and although not completely rested, was definitely feeling better than before. While they rushed to the scene, one of them actually took the time to take notice of the beautiful day that dawned, which would have freaked him out that he had noticed it in the first place, but at the moment he was too tired to give that thought any merit and instead leaned back and relaxed the rest of the way to their next rescue. Dean Winchester may be self absorbed at times, but apparently he still could enjoy the simpler things in life once in awhile.

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Sam had just finished clearing off the counter from breakfast with Ellie and sent her upstairs to get dressed when a knock on the door brought him back to the present. He'd been thinking about the conversation he had with his parents the night before and he still hadn't fully wrapped his head around the fact that they were actually interested in him, and not some abstract thought of what he could do for them. As he shook the thought out of his head, he opened the door and saw the very people he was thinking about standing there with big smiles on their faces. Puzzled, he could only stand there for a moment before he moved to the side and let them in; normally they used their key if the door was locked, or just walked in if it wasn't.

"Uh, hi." He said, pulling down a couple of mugs from the cabinet to pour them some coffee. Since neither of them said anything, his concern grew until finally he handed them both their cups and asked, "What's going on?"

Mary and John looked at each other then back at him and finally answered. "We have a solution." Mary said happily. "Your father and I talked about it last night and we realized that we _had_ been pushing… a lot. So, we thought we'd give you this." She said as she pulled several pieces of paper from her purse and handed it to him.

When Sam tried to read the pages, they looked almost foreign to him which sent his insecurity level off the charts. It wasn't until his father spoke up that he felt himself start to calm down again.

"Sammy, we had those drawn up so you would know we were serious about what we talked about last night. Basically they say that we have no right to Ellie and will not pursue any legal action to gain custody of her unless both you and Dean have passed. We know that you have already declared Dean her legal guardian in case something happens to you, and we didn't want to interfere with that." John said as he watched his son look over the papers in confusion.

"Uh, look, about last night…" Sam said hesitantly, he was already feeling bad about how reacted, and this was just making him worse.

"No Sam, you have nothing to apologize for. Actually, I think I have more to apologize about than you do; I know that the only reason why you've allowed us to be so much a part of you and Ellie's life right now is because you don't want to hurt my feelings, and I've taken full advantage of it." Mary said with a sad smile. "We love you, and we want to be a part of you and that beautiful little girl's life; we just have to remember that you've been taking care of yourself a lot longer than we have."

Looking at both his parents he didn't know what to say. He could have easily said 'Ok' and been done with it, but that didn't seem right. Their whole situation was more complex than a one word answer and it frustrated him to not be able to express what he felt. If he was completely honest with himself he would admit that he liked having people care about him just as much as it scared him. He didn't know what to say; or how to act so he stood there in the middle of the kitchen and looked at the two people who brought him into the world, and didn't respond at all.

Mary grew concerned as her son continued to stare at them. She turned to her husband and hoped he had an idea of what to do next. When she saw him smile, she understood that he had figured it out before her.

"You know, your mother and I had the greatest first date that anyone could ever ask for." John began as he sat at the counter. "We had decided to go to a little carnival in town, and it was the perfect day for it; it was sunny and warm, but not too hot, everyone was in a good mood and smiling. It was a wonderful day, and an even better date. I had got paid the day before, and after paying my rent and putting gas in the car I knew that everything was set. We went on every ride at least twice, saw every exhibit they had, and even had our picture taken in one of those goofy old time booths that they make you dress up in western style clothes." He paused and looked at Mary. "You know, I've never seen a more beautiful call girl." He laughed when she playfully slapped his arm. "By the time I took her home, we both were laughing so hard that we were in tears, and I knew that she was the one I wanted to spend the rest of my life with."

Sam looked between his parents, and although it was a really nice story, he couldn't help but feel as if it was a little out of place in the here and now. He was just about to ask a question when Ellie walked in with mismatched shoes and both a pair of pants and a pull over dress on. Seeing the sight he laughed and scooped her up to at least make sure her shoes were on the right feet. Before he had a chance to respond, his mom broke in his thoughts.

"Go ahead, tell him the rest." She said wryly, giving Sam a knowing look.

Nodding, John continued. "The next day I walk out to go to work and two of my tires have been slashed, completely non-repairable. At the time Mike and I were still working for a guy across town, and he didn't take too well to giving out advances or even allowing people to make payments to him, so I was stuck; either buy two tires and not eat for the week, or eat and walk back and forth to work for the same amount of time. Worse yet, I didn't want your mother to know that I blew all the money I had and risk showing her that I couldn't take care of her. Well, I was realistic enough to know that I had to eat, so I chose to walk back and forth to work every day. It was Wednesday when I hear the scariest sound that I have ever heard in my life and it was directed at me. I had been avoiding her calls, and hadn't called her either and she wanted to know why; I learned right then and there that when your mother is angry, she's scary." He laughed, but gave his wife a hug. "She accused me of being the most… what was it? Oh yeah, 'stubborn, mule headed ass that she'd ever laid eyes on' and if he was going to marry her some day then I needed to pull my head out and realize that it was ok to ask for help. Apparently she thought I was ill and had gone by my apartment only to see my car on blocks and put two and two together. Have I mentioned how wonderfully smart my wife is?" he asked, while pulling her closer.

"Your father wasn't going to tell me that he was in a bind because of his misplaced pride, and his machismo attitude that he had to take care of everything no matter how big or how small." Mary said while running her hand through her husband's hair. "So, are you getting the moral of this story or do we need to bore you with another trip down memory lane?" she asked with a smile.

"No ma'am, I think I got it." Sam said, enjoying the moment of knowing that his parents had known from the start they were meant to be together and worked as one to keep it that way.

"Good, now if you don't mind, I'm heading towards the shop. Oh, and don't forget, you have that last meeting with the workman's comp board this afternoon." John said with concern lacing his voice. "If you want I'm sure that Hal can reschedule under the circumstances." Seeing his son's answer, he smiled and nodded, then turned around in surprise at Sam's question.

"You will be there, right?" Sam asked, not feeling sure of what was really going to happen and hoped that he didn't have to do this particular thing by himself.

"You know I will, in fact I'll pick you up and we'll go together." He said then smiled at the relief he saw in his son's eyes.

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They were piling in for lunch when Dean noticed something very strange, and he really wasn't sure he was seeing what he thought. There was one space left at the table but it was full of baby feeding items; a small plate, a small bowl, a sippy cup and a bib all coordinated with the same cartoon characters. Dean stared at it for a moment, before one of the guys smacked himself on the head and exclaimed. "What were we thinking guys, Sammy's not here!" then rushed off and came back with a baby blanket that matched the set on the table. "We knew you wouldn't feel right without your security blanket, and we just want to make you feel at home."

Finally Dean understood, yesterday's dash home in a blind panic had caused this and he was torn between what he was feeling; either he was pissed that they pulled this on him, or embarrassed that he hadn't seen it coming. Deciding that they wouldn't have done it if they didn't care, he laughed. "Ha Ha guys, very funny! I'm surprised you didn't bring in a high chair too." He said as he sat down and piled the baby plate with food. Looking around at the amused expressions he asked, "What? A man has to eat doesn't he?"

Everyone was laughing and ribbing Dean when one of the guys reached over to take the blanket from the back of his chair making him growl. "Dude, leave my 'Sammy' alone." Causing everyone to roar in laughter again until tears started to fall.

Later in the rec room, Dean was leaning back on the couch with his feet propped up when Lucas Kramer thumped him lightly on the head. Dean liked Lucas if for no other reason than the man was a straight shooter. A veteran firefighter, Lucas didn't have a problem with telling the newbies when they screwed up and how, while at the same time making sure that those times were few and far between. "Hey Lucas, what's up?" Dean asked the man as he motioned next to him on the couch.

"Well kid, I just wanted to make sure everything had simmered down since yesterday, your brother ok now?" he asked, watching Dean for any uncertainty.

Not sure how to answer, Dean knew that any stretch of the truth was going to be met with fierce opposition. "I guess so. He pushes himself too hard; like he has to make sure everything is done just right so people will like him or something." Dean said, taking his gaze off the TV. "I don't know, maybe he thinks he still has something to prove, but when I heard the word 'blood clot' it…"

"Whoa, wait a minute… the kid has a blood clot?" Lucas asked, wondering how'd they had missed that information.

"No… at least I don't think so. I talked to the doctor who released him and he said that Sammy could develop one pretty easily though. Between that and how the doc reacted when talking about the physical therapy… I guess I jumped the gun."

Lucas laughed lightly, "Kid, sounds like something to jump the gun about. Look, we know how it is to balance family around the job, but you need to realize that your brother is learning how to balance all of you too." When he saw Dean's puzzled look he smiled. "Yeah, I know, you guys are the freakin' Cleaver's, maybe that's what's wrong; too much normal in a very condensed package."

Dean thought about that for a minute and wondered if that's what his little brother thought. He knew that his family wasn't perfect, but compared to some of his friend's growing up he had it made with both parents still together, a house that he'd grown up in and never really moved away from; he could see how others might think of it as a fairy tale type life. Now though, he wondered why that would be so intimidating to someone who never had that.

"You know, people take for granted what they have going for them. For people who have had to work hard just to survive, being around people with the 'apple pie life' can be scary; you're always worried that you'll mess everything up somehow, or worse yet, that you were just fooling yourself to begin with." Lucas said quietly while he caught the game's score. "I had that trouble for quite awhile, in fact my wife still jokes that one day I'll wake up one morning and go back to what I used to call 'normal'. Thing is, now I couldn't even if I wanted to, too much has happened, too much has changed; I've changed. It took me awhile, but now if we need something and we're not in a position to get it at that moment _I'm_ the one running to the phone to ask her family for some help; they taught me that, and I wasn't an easy student."

Having heard about how Lucas had wound up in the Lawrence Fire Department, Dean started to understand what the other man was saying; have some patience, Sammy would come around. Nodding, he was just about to stand up when he turned and looked at Lucas again. "Do you ever regret not staying on the road?"

"Nope, I have a new life; one that doesn't involve bar fights, loose women, and things a young newbie should never hear about. I won't say I never get itchy feet, but then I take a look around and see my life for what it is. There's nothing I wouldn't pass up to keep what I have already, and I'm betting your little brother feels the same way."

When Dean walked into the house three days later, he found his little brother sound asleep at the kitchen table surrounded by school books, notes, and of course the baby monitor by his side. Sensing someone close by he looked over at the doorway and saw Bobby give him a death glare that read 'you wake that boy up and I'll shoot you.' Nodding in agreement, he quietly made his way upstairs and to his room after a quick peek to check on Ellie. Seeing the time on her Mickey Mouse clock, he knew he had enough time to shower before the day began again, this time he was determined to make the most of it _for_ his little brother, not _because_ of him.

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AN: hope you liked it... I know... not enough action, right? uh... be careful what you wish for??

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	38. Chapter 38

AN: Hey everyone... hope you like this one, not alot of action, but that'll happen soon enough! See you soon!

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Sam had no idea when things changed, but he had too much other things going on to worry about it too much. His classes were taking a lot of him not just because they were condensed, but they were intense; too bad Dr. Malloy hadn't mentioned he was in honors classes. Now though, he had a report in English due in two days, a lab in his Biology class that had to be done by the end of the week, and he was still trying to figure out how he had managed to stay on top of his math homework. His normal day anymore consisted of getting Ellie ready, consulting his planner (of all things) to see what day it was and what class he was supposed to be in, then he had to look at the calendar set up on the fridge to see if Dean was home, then he could figure out when he had to leave and when he might be back. It was taking a lot out of him, but he was hoping that with the Thanksgiving break he could figure out if he was coming or going.

Sighing, he looked back over his notes and suddenly realized that his mind was elsewhere. He had a life at one time that didn't have anything to do with books, teachers, school in general. His life had been solely about taking care of Ellie, and even though that part of his life hadn't changed, now he had a lot more to consider and he wasn't adjusting to it as well as he knew he should.

After looking at his watch, then at the picture of Ellie on his phone, Sam took a deep breath and walked into the room, prepared to hurry through the test so he could get back home to his little girl.

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Bobby and Caleb didn't like what they were hearing. There had been no sign of Jason for almost a month and that idea was making them edgy. They hadn't shared their feelings with the Winchester's yet, as far as they knew the guy left town, but the hunters knew better; Jason was laying low. They knew that they were running out of excuses of why they were still there, but until they knew that the crazy kid was gone, neither of them felt comfortable about leaving the boy they were just starting to call Sam.

Since they were renting out a room in the elder Winchester's home, they knew first hand how worried John, Mary and Dean were about Sam. Apparently the kid had taken it in his head that he had to do everything, and do it all well. They'd seen nights where the kid's kitchen light wouldn't go off at all, and they could see the strain it was putting on him. It had been bad enough that he'd missed a week into the mini semester, and he pushed himself not only to catch up but advance further in his studies than what seemed to be required, but then he still insisted on doing his normal household duties including tutoring and caring for Ellie. Everyone was concerned that Sam was going to collapse, and was more than thankful that Thanksgiving was coming and there would be no classes that week; anything to keep the kid from killing himself.

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On her way to Allison's house, Mary couldn't help but muse about how life had changed. It used to be that she was envious that her friend had her daughter while she was still missing her Sammy. Now though, after the sever setbacks that her friend had been overcoming lately, she felt blessed in her life and it helped her to put the rest of her thoughts in perspective.

Dean was home for three days and was watching their little princess while Sammy was at school. Sam had been worrying everyone with the way he'd been burning the candle at both ends. Her husband had been losing sleep as it was, concerned that both boys would end up getting hurt by their choices. Dean, always running headlong into danger, and Sammy who was determined to do everything to perfection; both determined to do it with no regards to their health.

Pulling in front of Allison's house she was surprised to see Holly leaving with her boyfriend. From what she had her from Allison, this young man was an entrepreneur who had taken an instant liking to her daughter; not that Mary could blame him, Holly was a sweet, intelligent girl. Waving towards the girl, she was even more surprised when Holly called her over.

"Mrs. Winchester, do you have a minute? We were hoping you could help us find some distressed properties for Jay to renovate!" Holly said, excited that her mom's best friend would actually meet the man who was changing her life.

Surprised, Mary thought a moment before she answered honestly. "Well, not off the top of my head. I'm sure you've already checked in the older areas, but if you'd like I could make a few calls on the zoning and planning committee, they should know what's going on in town."

"Thank you, Mrs. Winchester, you just confirmed my next course of action." The young man said before turning to Holly. "Sweetheart, we need to go."

Holly pulled herself out of her thoughts with a smile. "Oh right! Jay and I are heading towards the homeless shelter to get a feel for how many people in need we have in town."

As Mary watched the couple go, she couldn't get rid of the awful feeling that she had missed something. Shaking herself out of her gloomy mood, she made her way into the house only to face a very concerned Allison.

"Did you see him? He's a liar, Mary, but my Holly won't listen! Please help my little girl, she'll listen to you if you tell her that boy Jason is no good." Allison insisted from her wheelchair, pleading with her friend but not noticing the horrified look on Mary's face.

'No… it can't be!' Mary thought all the while the feeling in her stomach was getting worse.

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Hanging up the phone, Dean reflected how not even six months ago if a hot chick like Chloe Madison had called him and asked to meet up, he'd been running out the door. Now though, he was knuckle deep in finger paints because a certain little girl likes the feel of them. How in the world his brother had figured out that Ellie was wanting to try something new, he'd never know, but it was working; Ellie was painting their house and yard in great detail, no small feat considering they only had blue, red, yellow and green to play around with.

"Hey Ellie, how about you and me get cleaned up and go to the store?" he asked, hoping that this wasn't going to be one of those days that it would take an act of congress to get her to change her plans. When he saw that she wasn't going to budge he decided to fight dirty. "Ok, no big deal, we can paint some more, I was just hoping to get something special for Johnny for dinner tonight since…"

Ellie stopped suddenly then turned to Dean as if looking through him. Finally though she got down from the table and walked toward the sink, allowing Dean to help her onto the step stool so she could wash her hands.

"Johnny" she said wistfully, making Dean realize that that was the missing puzzle piece of the day; she was missing her Johnny.

Dean sighed and agreed; he missed his brother too. He lost count how many times he'd caught Sammy napping on his books in the middle of the night, and it was starting to worry him. "Don't worry Ellie, he'll have a break in a couple of days and we'll help him get his head back on straight."

"Johnny!" she exclaimed with a smile, leaving Dean to assume that she was in agreement with him.

Laughing, Dean helped Ellie out the door and towards his car, ready to get out of the house for awhile even if it was to go to the grocery store. As they drove down the road, Dean understood what it really felt to have a full life, and he actually liked it. The guys at the station had ribbed him about being a babysitter on his time off, but after he responded with 'how can you babysit your own kids?' they started to leave him alone. It hadn't taken him and Sammy long to get into a routine that would make the most powerful CEO's impressed with the precision it ran. On the surface everything looked simple and peaceful, but with Sammy's physical therapy and school, Ellie's occasional doctor's appointment and playdates, and Dean's odd work schedule, it amazed him that they even saw each other much less stay as connected as they were.

As they put food into the cart Dean shook his head and was thankful that Sammy wasn't there; he'd be armed with a calculator, sale ads and coupons. He hadn't been able to get it in his little brother's thick head that they didn't have to be on a strict budget just because he wasn't working. Between Ellie's monthly checks which they kept mostly in her bank account, his checks from the fire department, and the small settlement that Sam had gotten from his worker's comp claim, they weren't hurting, but if it was up to Sammy they'd buy nothing but generic items and only on sale meat; it was enough to drive Dean crazy.

So caught up in his thoughts, he didn't realize at first that Ellie wasn't right next to him anymore. Feeling a sudden sense of panic, he was about to call out to her when a pair of small hands holding a package of chocolate chip cookies appeared from the side. Startled, Dean could only stare at the little girl for a moment before she insistently shoved the cookies at him again, this time saying 'please'. Nodding, Dean picked Ellie up and showered her with kisses until she squirmed too much, then he happily lead her towards the checkout lane.

'Definitely a good day!' he mused.

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Jason knew that his time was now short, he wasn't expecting to actually run into Mary Winchester so soon; he had planned to make sure their introductions were more to his advantage. Now though he was going to have to step up his plans, not that it would be difficult since he already had acquired another building to use after seeing how the LFD worked. Too bad they didn't know that the next time it was going to be so much worse.

He had met a guy who had a fetish for fire, believing that it was the most beautiful thing in the world. Normally he wouldn't hang around crazy people like that, but he had created a powdered substance that would burn so hot and long that no structure was safe. It was used in the Las Vegas warehouse fire that brought national media attention to the site, making the guy even happier that others could 'witness his pride and joy.' It hadn't taken much to convince the man to hand over the formula, and after his own tweaking of it, he found that he could actually control it with various other items that he made sure he had plenty of just in case.

As he half listened to Holly, he knew that this time he was taking too long, the freak should have been dead by now, but that would be rectified soon. How he had managed to weasel himself next to a decent family like the Winchester's he didn't know. Sure, he'd heard the story about how Johnny had been kidnapped from them as a baby and that he wasn't evil, but how could anyone know that? There was only one way to make sure that it never happened. He couldn't help think that Thanksgiving Day would be the perfect time to rid the world of the evil that was Johnny Doe, and he suddenly knew just how he was going to do it while getting some answers too.


	39. Chapter 39

AN: Hope you like this one, don't forget to let me know!

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Dean knew that he was thoroughly screwed, but there wasn't much he could do about it. Two days into his time off and he was asked to come back in to cover one of the newbies who had fallen off the truck while checking the hoses; that meant that he was going to be gone tomorrow, Thanksgiving Day, and he knew his mom was planning to go all out in celebration of having the whole family together. Sighing, he made the change on the calendar and quickly explained what was going on to the family before he headed out; he just wished there was a way to help Ellie understand the sudden change.

Mary knew that Dean was disappointed, but as she explained, they'd celebrate when he got home again in four days. She was glad that they kept a calendar of his schedule though; otherwise she'd never know when he'd be home with the four days on three days off, then three days on four days off. It was more than she could keep track of in her head. Watching him rush off, she knew that her next job would be to keep Ellie occupied until Sammy got home.

Sam knew something was off as soon as he walked in. He couldn't place it at first, but then a note on the fridge caught his eye and he quickly understood; Dean wasn't home. It amazed him how he could almost feel if his brother was around. He hadn't told anyone, mainly because he hadn't grasped the concept himself yet, but he was starting to get used to it. As he walked into the living room he saw his mom and Ellie practicing with the toy phone he'd been working with her on. He had put pictures on the speed dial buttons to their house phone so she could reach anyone she wanted; the problem was teaching her how to use it appropriately. The fake phone helped her associate the words she should use when talking on the phone… in theory anyway.

"Hey Sammy, how'd it go?" Mary asked, while trying to show the little girl the pictures again.

"Uh, ok I guess… it's hard to say. The multiple choices went well, but the essay's are going to be trickier since he sometimes has his aide's grade them instead." He answered as he sat next to Ellie on the floor. "Hey sweetheart, did you have a good day?" Ellie didn't answer or even acknowledge his existence which concerned Mary, but made Sam smile. "She's upset that Dean's gone."

Puzzled, Mary looked at her son and wondered why that would make him happy, then the answer hit her upside the head. 'She noticed when Dean suddenly isn't where he's supposed to be – a broken pattern.' A small thrill ran through her as her imagination ran through all the things that it could mean and she prayed that she was right in her assumption that she was becoming even more aware of her surroundings.

"So, is Thanksgiving off?" Sam asked, not really understanding what the big idea was anyway; they always ate next door for Sunday dinner so it wasn't as if there was anything unusual except for the day.

"Nope, we'll just wait until Dean's back home, so we'll carry on with it on Monday after your father gets done at the shop and you're home from classes." Mary answered, knowing that Dean had been disappointed since he was actually scheduled off on Thanksgiving and then would have been back to work the next day.

Nodding, Sam understood what she was saying and had to agree, Dean would be upset if they missed a family holiday.

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Jason had been unable to find just the right person he needed for the job at hand, but that was ok since he knew it meant there would be fewer people who knew what he was really up to. He would be glad to get this job over with, his resources weren't as flush as they had been, and with Holly clinging to him like a lifeline it was difficult at times to break away and get his other things done.

Luckily he had managed to accomplish most of his prep work ahead of schedule, and with the holiday tomorrow, he knew that he had the perfect excuse to not be available. After all, he couldn't help it if his mother wanted her son home for Thanksgiving, right? Smiling, he thought of everything he could learn in the amount of time it took others to eat their feast and watch a football game or two.

Walking around the old apartment building again, he made sure that no one would be able to hear what transpired inside. He had picked out an inner room and placed soundproofing to the walls. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing, but then again, he didn't care whether the freak liked it or not. As he arranged everything on a table, he made sure he didn't forget anything; he didn't want to give Johnny even the slightest chance to escape.

Confident everything was ready, he had one more stop to make, and then he could carry out his plan and send the demon spawn back to hell.

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Caleb wanted to hit something, anything, he wasn't picky… really, he wasn't. But damn if that Jason kid wasn't giving them the run around. He and Bobby had heard from a very upset Mary that Jason had weaseled his way close by and she was concerned now not only for her son, but her friend's daughter too. There was one thing that sent Caleb's blood raging besides a child being harmed, and that was someone hurting a woman. He knew Bobby felt the same way, and after everything the older man had gone through, he couldn't blame him.

Now though, they both felt like they were following a ghost; they were always a step behind and not certain the trail was solid. It hadn't taken them long after finding out just how close Jason was, for them to understand that they had made a huge miscalculation. They now knew he'd been staying at a nice hotel claiming to be businessman looking for a new place to call home. Unfortunately, it looked like the young hunter had already cleared out of his room leaving them with a feeling of dread. Their biggest lead and they were too late.

Riding the elevator to the lobby Bobby suddenly spoke. "What's that girl's name that Mary was telling us about? Doesn't she work here?"

Thinking for only a moment, Caleb nodded and smiled. "Not bad old man, I think you're on to something. I'm feeling a little peaked, maybe a bite to eat will help."

"Now you're talking boy, let's see if they have anything decent in the joint."

As they walking into the restaurant close to the lobby, they immediately could tell who Holly was; a sweet girl trying her best to keep her head above water, and the girl looked like she couldn't tread anymore.

"I'm telling you Holly, the man is no good." A waitress was telling the younger woman during a lull in customers.

"No, Jay's alright, he's just busy right now that's all. It's not like he's hurting me or anything." She defended, not wanting to believe that she'd been shoved to the side so easily.

The other woman was about to say something else but noticed the two men approach and thought better of it. Something told her that they weren't there for iced tea.

"Excuse me, are you Holly?" Caleb asked, hoping that they wouldn't scare her, but they needed some answers… fast.

Looking at the two men in front of her, Holly wasn't sure what to think, but knew that if she suddenly got into any trouble then her friends in hotel security would be right there to help her out. "Yes, I'm Holly. Do I know you?"

Bobby knew that this wasn't going to be as easy as they hoped. "No, but we're friends of the Winchester's and Mary is concerned about the young man you've been seeing."

Holly laughed and shook her head. 'I should have known Mom would overreact and get Mary involved.' She looked at the men and smiled, "I know that my Mom got Mary upset, but I can assure you that everything's…"

"Holly, we believe that Jason used you to get close to Mary's son Sam. He's dangerous and needs to be stopped before that family loses their boy again." Caleb said as gently as he could, but something told him that no matter how he said it, it was still going to be painful to hear.

"I don't understand; I've never met Sam. How could he think that…"

Knowing that they were running out of time, Bobby stepped in and he wasn't going to take the gentle route. "Look, you went to school with Dean, right? Graduated in his class, maybe even had a few college classes with him? I bet that you didn't mind sharing that about yourself because it didn't seem like a big deal. You might have even mentioned that Dean became a fireman and that his mom and your mom are friends. I'm sorry Holly, but we need to know where Jason is before he gets what he wants; Sam dead."

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Sam knew that he should be thankful to have family so close, but sometimes they were a little too much. Although his dad had started to relax and understand that he's not planning on bolting out the door, sometimes he got the impression that his mom wasn't to that point yet. Shaking his head as he poured another cup of coffee, he was hoping to extend his night a bit since he was in dire need of doing some research if he had any hope of passing the final in his history class.

Seeing that Ellie was content with another painting, he took a moment to step outside and enjoy the sunshine. It had been cloudy most of the week, and it seemed that when the sun was actually shining, he was stuck inside. He knew that there wouldn't be any prying his little princess away from her picture since she was almost done; once she got started, she hated to be disturbed, so he stood there on the front porch relishing the warmth of the sun on his face and the heat from his cup in his hands.

Hearing something strange coming from the backyard, he walked back inside and locked the door before checking on Ellie again. "Ellie, stay here, ok baby?" he asked as he made his way to the back door and outside. He knew it wasn't his mom since she went to visit her friend Allison again, and his dad was still at the shop, so either it was a big cat that was making the racket or someone was snooping around.

"Hey!" He yelled seeing a man looking through one of the back windows. "What are you…" His voice trailed as he fell to the ground, unaware of the second person emerging from the shadows with a crowbar in his hand.

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Dean was sitting at the table in the Rec room playing cards with a few of the guys enjoying the camaraderie since he couldn't be home with his family. Everyone had been understanding about his distracted attitude, and had even let him know that they appreciated him giving up his time off to come in when they all knew this would have been his first Thanksgiving with his little brother and niece. He appreciated how much they cared, but felt awkward around their compliments; it wasn't like he won the World Series or anything.

They were starting another hand with the other guys telling stories of the previous years where people would catch their houses on fire while frying their turkeys, or how some do-it-yourselfer will inevitably get stuck on his roof because he suddenly feels that he can get better reception from the satellite than the cable guy. As they were in full swing of story telling, Dean heard his cell phone and distractedly put it on the table and answered it by hitting the speaker button.

"Yeah…" he called out, hoping that it wasn't his mother who just heard the story of the woman who had opened the door in a towel. Suddenly though, as he heard the sweet little voice, he knew it was much worse.

"Dean…hurt…"

Suddenly the room was quiet and Dean felt as if his heart stopped. "Ellie? Ellie sweetheart, are you ok, are you hurt?" Dean was already on his feet along with the rest of the crew making their way quickly towards the trucks. The next words that they heard made them rush even faster as if they could sense the urgency that she couldn't express herself.

"Johnny hurt… hurt… Johnny…"


	40. Chapter 40

AN: Bet you weren't expecting another update so soon, were ya? Thank Sammygirl1963 for it... she definitly spurred me on! ;) I hope everyone likes this one, don't forget to let me know!!

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Sam had no idea why his head hurt so bad or why he couldn't move, but he knew someone unfamiliar was close by and that had him worried; where was Ellie? Trying not to give too much away, he opened his eyes slightly and found himself tied to a chair only in his boxers. Not liking where this could be going, he decided to make his wakefulness known and sat up straight, making sure he looked at his kidnapper straight in the eye.

"Good, your awake, not that it would have mattered, I was thinking about waking you up anyway." Jason said with a grin, holding a pair of pliers in his hand. Looking at the tool he pondered it a moment. "You know, pliers are very handy tools. If you need to fix something, they're usually the thing to use. But, I don't think they'd do the trick this time. I think this times, we need to really get down and dirty, don't you Johnny?"

"Uh, no?" Sam said while still trying to figure out who this guy was and what he wanted. "You know, I'm not one to rush into things, so how about we talk first… maybe dinner, a movie! You know there's a great one over at…"

"You know, you might have that nice family fooled Johnny, but I know the truth and we both know how this is going to end. So… how about you tell me what I want to know and I'll make it quick, not necessarily painless, but quick."

As he looked at the man in front of him, Sam knew that the guy wasn't playing with a full deck and under his current circumstances it would be prudent to play it cool, try to reason with the man, maybe see him as a person with a family, a little girl who needs him. "Fuck off!" he blurted wishing that he had listened to the rational part of his brain when he saw the insane look in the man's eyes intensify. 'Crap, I knew I was hanging around Dean too much!"

"Well, it looks like you're more ready to play than I thought." Jason said as he pulled his hunting knife out of his bag. "Good!"

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Dean couldn't help his irrational thought that he could run faster than the trucks to drive, but somehow he was able to keep himself from jumping out of the rig to find out. The firehouse had quickly emptied as soon as Ellie called, and now they all were racing to find out about Sam and how badly he was hurt. He couldn't help but feel pride in the little girl for calling him, while at the same time feel fear that she was basically helpless at home.

As they turned the corner and drove that last stretch he saw a beat up truck coming the other way and he felt resentment that Bobby hadn't been there to help his brother. What good were having other people around if they weren't actually around to help? Not bothering to wait for a full stop, he jumped out of the truck and raced to the front door only to find it locked. Not bothering to look for his keys, he kicked the door open yelling for Ellie and Sam, praying that they both were actually ok and that it was just some misunderstanding, or some drill that had gone horribly wrong.

"ELLIE!" he shouted as he searched first all the rooms on the first floor, then upstairs. Not finding her, he started yelling again looking at his friends to see if they had found anything. He barely acknowledged Bobby or Caleb who had someone with them that looked familiar but he couldn't seem to remember who she was. Running past them he started his search again, this time though he heard something in the kitchen.

"Ellie? Come on baby, it's time to come out now, I'm here." Dean begged, scared that something horrible had to have happened for Ellie to act this way; she hated hide and seek. The noise he heard was in a lower cabinet and Dean didn't have a problem with yanking it open if it meant he could find their little girl faster.

Seeing Ellie cramped inside was both heartbreaking and beautiful, and Dean didn't hesitate to scoop her up and hold her close. "Ellie, thank God! Are you ok princess?" he asked, quickly looking her over to make sure she was alright. Before he finished his examination though, Lucas and two others rushed in to tell him what they found.

"Dean, someone was messing around with a back window, and we found blood on your driveway."

"Johnny…" Ellie cried out quietly, bringing the situation home. Someone had Sam, and they had no idea where they were.

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Mary had picked her husband up from work and they decided to take a short drive around town to enjoy the sunny weather. Spending time together was something they never got tired of and they often enjoyed brief trips on their own with no phones, no neighbors, and no commitments, just them sneaking a few minutes away. However, their good feeling came to a crashing halt as they turned onto their street and saw two fire engines parked in front of their house, and they knew it has nothing to do with the Widow Taylor across the way.

"Oh my God, John!" Mary cried out, knowing that something horrible happened to either Sam or Ellie.

"Hang on Mary, let's get pulled over first, then we can run inside." John told her as he pulled the Impala to the curb behind Bobby's truck. He knew it looked bad, but it could be something as simple as a false alarm… or a practical joke… or… yeah, right, not in their family. Something was wrong, very wrong.

It didn't take either of them long to see that it had to do with Sam and the way both Caleb and Bobby looked it had to do with that crazy kid hunter who was determined to kill their boy. As they stood and listened, they heard Captain Smythe arguing with the Chief of Police about missing person's protocol and after another couple of minutes finally got through to the other man that there were signs of foul play, immediately changing the situation and getting a couple of officers on the case. Although it was a nice gesture, they already knew who it was who took Sam, just not the location of where he was now.

Dean continued to hold Ellie as she buried her face in his neck. She had met a lot of the guys from the fire station when he had taken her there for a visit while Sam was in the hospital, but having everyone in the house at the same time was really starting to stress her out. Knowing the only thing that would really calm her down was if she had 'Johnny' there with her, he felt at a loss as what to do; it wasn't as if he could suddenly produce his brother out of thin air, although wouldn't that be a lot better than what they were doing to find him. Frustrated, he looked around and noticed that the hunters were talking to the girl he'd seen before and she kept shaking her head as if she wouldn't believe what they were telling her.

"Holly!" Mary called out and walked over to the girl. "Are you alright, he didn't hurt you did he?"

Holly was shocked to hear someone speak to her other than the two men who had made a point of telling her how awful her boyfriend was. It took her a moment to compose herself enough to answer. "I'm fine Mary, no one has done anything to me, and I don't understand why everyone thinks that Jason is a bad guy, all he's trying to do is move his business here and…"

"How well do you know him Holly, where he comes from, what he does… hell what his company name is?" Caleb said in exasperation. He'd heard her excuses, her indignation, and even her own self pity for over an hour and already was tired of her speaking. In fact he was sick of everyone just talking and no one actual saying anything, it was as if they all needed to voice their opinions without having a true thought as to why they were thinking it. Letting out a frustrated growl, he walked out the kitchen door and stood staring and the small pool of blood on the driveway.

The Winchester's watched Caleb leave the house and they were troubled that something more was going on with the man. They hadn't known him or Bobby for too long, but they both had long been accepted by the family as friends, and Caleb's attitude was troubling.

Bobby saw the others look towards the door and knew that he needed to explain what was going on. Asking Holly to wait in the living room with the others until the police showed up, he turned to them and sighed. "Look, we weren't kidding what we told you before about Johnny attracting the wrong sort of people. Caleb and I felt lucky that we found him the last time someone had tormented him, now we're here and he's out there, and neither of us like the idea much." He didn't want to tell them how Johnny wouldn't look at people, just through them for days after being dug out from under the house rubble. He was sure that they wouldn't want to know that when the cops had showed up and drug him away, Johnny was the most accepting and compliant person that they had ever dealt with; and they knew that wasn't Johnny's way. They knew him as a tough kid who rolled with the punches and then threw some back twice as hard, it wasn't his nature to quit. Now though Bobby knew that the Winchester's had part of the boy's story, but it still wasn't something that he wanted to share. "Caleb told me once that he'd do anything he could to make sure the kid never went through that again. Now I'm not saying that things were rosy for Johnny after that, but I know for a fact that if Caleb could have kept him from some of it, he would have."

Understanding dawned on the Winchester's faces; Caleb felt like he failed, and he wasn't taking it well.

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Sam felt like he'd been hit by a train; not that he actually knew what that would feel like, but he could imagine since they were big, solid and fast. He had no idea how long he'd been in the same position, his muscles protesting, his bruises growing, and any damage that might have been done to his bones were screaming in agony. Not hearing anything close to him, he opened his eyes again and looked around thankful that he didn't see the guy around. He had no idea what he wanted, but he was pretty sure he didn't have the answer.

"_TELL ME WHAT I WANT TO KNOW!"_

The demand echoed in his brain like a broken record making him wish he could scoop that part of his brain out until he wouldn't remember it anymore. The guy was crazy, that had to be it… completely and totally nuts! Who else would ask the same questions over and over? Why else would someone want information about a demon that he had never seen before? The only thing that he could think of was the guy just liked tormenting people. 'Huh, not that this would be the first time.' He thought with chagrin, he should be used to it by now.

Looking down at himself he saw the ribbons of blood that was caused by the hunting knife being slowly drug across his skin, the swelling of his knee which matched the feeling he had that it was actually either severely bruised or dislocated, the burn marks on his legs where the maniac had actually lit small amounts of powder on fire just to prove a point. He knew he was screwed, but this really brought it to him at full attention. He'd been trying to get out of the bindings, but could only feel his blood trickle down his fingers, now though he knew his wrists were swelling as well from the abuse they'd been going through making him wonder how he had before the circulation to his hands would stop.

All in all, he was starting to feel a little sorry for himself. He was hurt, alone, and had no idea what was going on outside the room he'd been in for however long he'd been taken. He prayed that Ellie was alright, that she had hidden so they didn't know where she was, even though he didn't think the man holding him captive would have gone after a little girl; he didn't want to take that chance.

Running the events through his head, Sam could only conclude that he was being held by one of the over zealot hunters that Cade's dad had talked to them about. Now he understood fully just how messed up this whole scenario was, that this guy had picked _now_ to grab him and try to push him for answers or some proof that he didn't have. Even six months ago, before running into his family, he could have easily been goaded into something, mainly because he didn't care. Sure he had Cade and Ellie, but they belonged to each other, he was basically alone, he had to stay away from people as much as possible because when he stayed others got hurt. Now though, he wouldn't give up what he had for anything. His parents were understanding and even loving, his brother knew how to keep him balanced involved with others, and Ellie made everything alright no matter how much he might want to bust free and go; she's the one who kept him grounded and at peace with who he was. He knew now that his family is exactly what has kept his 'freakiness' in check and their acceptance is what has made him start to realize that he is a person, not just some nobody that's easily overlooked. When he got out of there, he was going to make sure they knew that. The door opened quietly making Sam aware that he was no longer alone, that his captor was back and he didn't look happy how things had been progressing.

"Alright Johnny, I've been patient, I've been kind, so how about we start over and you fill me in on who the demon is and what plans it has in store for you, ok?" Jason said as he walked in the room. He had left to get the freak's blood off him and to get a few hours sleep. They'd been at it all night, but hadn't made any headway which upset more than anything. By know he should have gotten at least an idea of what the world should be looking for, instead he got the same answers of denial. He didn't understand how the freak in front of him could still be obstinate especially after the cocktail he'd given him several hours ago, but there they were about to go another round and deep down all he really wanted to know was why. How could something like the creature before him live when it was just a matter of time before he turned into a murdering foot soldier for hell?

As he turned back to his table with his instruments laid out, Jason was about to pick up another syringe when both he and Sam hear something echo throughout the building; filling one with rage and the other with hope.

"SAM! SAMMY, WHERE ARE YOU!?"


	41. Chapter 41

AN: Well, I hope you all like this one, let me know!

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Dean was going insane; it was the only way to describe that if he could have crawled out of his own skin he would have. Ellie continued to cling to him and hadn't said another word since she had uttered his brother's name, worrying him more than ever since she also continued a death grip around his neck and waist. The police had already come and gone, taking pictures and filling out their reports with the promise that Sam was a top priority since there were obvious signs of foul play. His Captain insisted on him staying at home with the family and even had taken post in the kitchen in hopes of helping in some form or fashion as well. His parents were taking turns coaxing Ellie to either each or drink and had only managed a single cookie and one juice box before she shut that down too. With Bobby and Caleb out trying to find Jason, he didn't have any new information and it was slowly driving him out of his mind.

"Dean sweetie, come and sit down for awhile." Mary said praying that her son would take a moment to rest since he hadn't stopped walking the floor with Ellie in his arms since they found out what happened.

Shaking his head, Dean refused. He knew that they needed to find his brother soon, he could feel that things weren't going well at the moment and that scared him more than anything.

As the door opened everyone tensely watched the two figures walk inside. When Bobby looked at the group he knew he needed to make sure that everyone understood what he was about to say, but then he looked at Caleb and let him do the dirty work; he was getting too old for it.

"We thought we had a lead on Jason, but it was a dead end. It would help if we had at least an area that he seemed to have concentrated on, but from what Holly said he liked to look at a lot of different neighborhoods."

John looked at the hunters and wondered if they were telling them everything. From the looks that they kept shoot towards Captain Smythe and Holly, he got the distinct impression that the answer was 'no'.

When the small radio came to life close to the Captain, he listened intently and then sighed spreading some maps out on the table. "Dean, I've tried to go over some of the neighborhood maps and I've found some districts that if this Jason person wanted to take someone and wanted privacy, then they might be it. Otherwise, I'm not sure what help I can be. I have to go for now, but if you need anything then call; we'll be there."

Nodding, Dean watched as his commander walked out to his truck and drive down the street out of sight. Turning back around, he looked towards his mom and asked silently to do something with Holly so they could figure things out. When they made their way to the other house, Dean looked at the others and motioned for them to continue.

"Look, you know by now how there are some people who don't see shades of grey when it comes to the supernatural. Jason is of course one of those people but with a twist. From what we heard from a fellow hunter, Jason believes that he is doing the will of God by killing those who had been touched by the same demon that tried to take Sam when he was a baby." Bobby stated calmly, he knew the news wouldn't be taken well and he was right. The looks that both Winchester men were giving him made his blood run cold, but he continued. "He is starting to get a reputation for torturing his victims first, which gives us some time… at least we know that Sam's still alive."

John looked at Bobby and wanted to smash his fist in his face for acting as if everything was alright just because they now knew that Sammy was being tormented instead of immediately murdered. 'They have to be crazier than that Jason kid.' He thought as he continued to listen.

Dean had stopped listening to them; he couldn't get the picture of Sam in pain out of his head. All he wanted to know was where his brother was, and if they couldn't tell him that then they needed to leave; he had work to do.

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Mary had no idea what to think about Holly at the moment. She had watched as her best friend's daughter had grown up much as she had thought Sammy would, but she never thought that they would now be in the position where she was going to have to break the girl's heart in order to save one of her boys lives.

"Holly, I know you're still having doubts about what you've heard, but…"

Holly knew what was coming, and she couldn't help but feel some form of resentment. She was a grown woman and had a brain in her head, what was it with people thinking that she couldn't tell when someone was using her? As she half heartedly listened to her mom's friend she thought about how little she really knew about her. Her mom had explained that they had been extraordinarily close until baby Sammy had disappeared; afterwards the Winchester's only associated with a select few and not as well as before. She wondered what life would have been like if Sam hadn't been taken, would they all been playmates, or possibly more?

"Are you alright?" Mary asked, seeing that Holly had become extremely quiet. She wondered if it was possible that in another time, this young woman would have married one of her boys just as she and Allison had dreamed so long ago. Sensing that they weren't really getting anywhere with the straight forward approach, she wanted to find a way to get what they needed without her feeling attacked again. They had been up all night trying to piece together information that would lead them to Sam, but nothing was working, and now it was in the early morning hours and they were no closer than when they had discovered Sam missing.

"Mary, if I showed you all of the places that Jay seemed truly interested in, what good would it do? If what you say is true, we'd have to search each building floor by floor and your son might not have that much time." Holly began quietly. "Jason is a good man who only wants to help people and renovate areas that have been forgotten. The person that you all have been describing to me is a monster who wouldn't have a clue about helping people at all."

"Do you think you could show us on a map the places you showed him?" a voice came from the doorway.

Dean didn't know what to think when he heard Holly speak about the man she obviously adored, but he couldn't help the feeling of unease that was rising in him; his brother was hurt, and she unknowingly knew where he was.

Holly looked at the man in front of her and nodded sadly, "Of course Dean, but it won't do you any good; Sam won't be in any of them and you'd just be wasting your time."

Half an hour later, the area and specific properties were circled in blue ink, often coinciding with properties circled in red. Knowing that they couldn't all search together, the list was split between the four men, leaving the women to try and figure out any other way to narrow down the list.

After making sure Ellie was still asleep on the couch, Dean leant over and kissed her cheek while whispering, "I'll bring him home princess, I promise."

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The search was going slow, and it was frustrating the men considerably. After agreeing that they would use walkie talkie's to keep in touch after every building, they had quickly hurried to their destinations. It was obvious even in the dawning new day that it was going to take awhile and Dean was starting to kick himself that he hadn't asked the Captain for some help.

Finishing his first building, he was feeling the pressure of not knowing what to do. They had to make sure the building's were completely empty which meant looking into each room, taking more time than what he felt they had. He had five more to search on his list and already he was disheartened. When his phone vibrated in his pocket, his first inclination was to ignore it since it could just be one of his friends checking on things, but after taking a moment he knew that it could just as well be about Ellie and that made up his mind.

"Hello!" he practically shouted, hoping that whoever it was would get the message that he was in a hurry.

"_Dean, listen to me carefully… I don't know how he knows, but Brian called and said that you're close, real close to finding Sammy. You need to hurry to the next building Dean, you have to hurry!"_

He had no idea why he believed a person that he didn't even remember, but he knew exactly why he believed his mother; and if she said to get to the next building, then that's what he was going to do. While he ran across the street though, he called the firehouse and relayed the address; something told him they'd be needed today.

Rushing into the old apartment building, he looked around and wondered why the place wasn't condemned. It was obvious that the structure, while brick, wasn't sound and the place looked more like dried kindling than stately housing. Making quick work of the first floor, he started to call out to his brother praying that Sam could hear him; that he was still alive enough to answer.

"SAM! SAMMY, WHERE ARE YOU!?"


	42. Chapter 42

AN: Ok here we are... at the end... yep, that's right, we've finished this particular saga; I just hope that the ending doesn't disappoint anyone. Yes, I'm thinking about a sequel, but don't know yet much more other than that. Don't forget to let me know what you all thought, and I'll see you soon... until then, take care!

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Sam looked at Jason and smiled, he knew that voice and that was the one thing that could hang onto because it looked like the hunter in front of him wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"NO! I don't have my answers yet, and you will tell me Johnny, I'll march you into hell if I have to but I will have my answers!" Jason yelled louder as he heard the sounds of pounding footsteps running up the stairwell, up the five flights of stairs as the sounds echoed through the long abandoned building. "WHAT DOES THE DEMON HAVE PLANNED?"

Looking at the crazed man in front of him, Sam had no idea what to say. He didn't know anything about the demon that so many people had kept telling him was responsible for what had happened the night he was taken from his family. If people would have actually stopped for a minute then they would have realized that he didn't fit any pattern, there was no fire in his nursery the night of his six month birthday, and his mother was alive and waiting for him to come home. Sure he had weird dreams and things had a way of flying around if he got too upset, but that didn't mean he was something evil, or demon bound did it? Everything that he had witnessed when he was with Cade's father showed that it was a choice, not a certainty, and there was no way he would chose something like that – none!

A flash of a knife glinted a moment before arcing towards him before Sam saw a blur fly from the doorway and tackle Jason onto the floor, the knife clattering away towards the wall. Relief made him feel weak, but then he understood that maybe it wasn't relief but trauma; either way, he was happy to see his brother.

Dean had heard the absurdity spewing from Jason's mouth toward Sammy and it made him angry to hear first hand what someone thought of his little brother, but to see a knife heading towards the same person sent him over the edge making him lunge towards the threat to his family. As he wrestled with the other man, he kept an ear out for any sounds of distress from his brother; hearing none he chanced a glance to see Sammy still alive and breathing. Being caught off guard, he was thrown backwards knocking over a small table that held tools of different types, and he didn't even want to think about what some of those were used for.

"You won't stop me from sending this abomination back to hell!" Jason ranted, preparing to lunge again.

Looking at the other man, Dean knew that he was staring straight into insanity and he didn't feel comfortable with that at all. "Look pal, I'll just take him off your hands and you can go off and…"

Jason laughed as if Dean had told the funniest joke he'd ever heard. Shaking his head, he pulled a gun out of his waistband and pointed it at Dean. "No, you don't understand. No one understands evil until they're staring at it straight on, seen what it can do. Don't mistake him for your brother, he's not human! He's an evil that needs to be purified, and you aren't going to stop me!"

Dean knew that he didn't have anywhere to go, and looking at Sam he saw that his little brother was barely holding on as it was. Before he had a chance to say anything though, the sound of a gun being cocked was heard over Jason's hysterical laughter making the hairs on Dean's neck stand at attention.

"NO!" Sam shouted as he heard the gun discharge. The only thing he could think of was his brother was going to die and he couldn't allow that to happen. The sound of things crashing against the walls was heard as the force expelled from Sam moved the bullet away from Dean, and caused Jason to be thrown against the back wall while other objects continued to thrash around until the energy dissipated, leaving Sam exhausted within the confines of his bonds.

Seeing the devastation, Dean knew that now was the perfect time to get his little brother out of dodge. Making his way across the debris ridden floor, he finally made it to Sam where he started working on getting him loose from the chair and looking at the wounds that he's sustained throughout the night. "Damn Sammy, I'm thinking it's another trip to the hospital for you." He said quietly, trying hard not to alarm his little brother, but some of the injuries looked like they were already starting to fester.

"You're not leaving." Jason growled as he held out a small black box. "I always knew I'd die in God's service." He said as he pushed the single button, then smiled again as the sounds of tiny explosions sounded throughout the building followed by the tremors that shook the structure causing plaster and beams to crash down around them. "I told you that he was evil and needed to be sent to hell!"

Groaning, Dean really had to wonder about crazy people insisting they were doing God's work by killing other people. Letting his head drop only for a moment, he knew that he was his little brother's only hope; the kid was exhausted and hurting, there was no way he'd fail Sammy. Reaching down he grabbed a large piece of wood that had fallen and threw it at Jason, knocking the young man off guard enough to pull Sammy upright and out the door.

"Come on Sammy, I heard the fire engine pull up outside." He told his semi conscious brother as he dragged him along all the while aware that they were running out of time, the fire had spread too fast for them to get out by the stairs. The sounds of the flames eating at anything and everything in its path brought back memories of fighting the warehouse fire that they had been ill equipped to deal with at first. Sensing the reason, he cursed louder at the thought that he'd been outsmarted by an insane lunatic.

"Don't worry Dean; he fooled a lot of people." Sam said tiredly, trying hard to stay upright. He was tired, his head hurt and for some reason he felt as if he'd lost some blood, but he couldn't remember why that was. If he was honest with himself, he felt exactly like he had after he lost control in his old nursery when everything flew around. "Ah jeez, I did it again didn't I?" he asked, hoping that it was just a severe hangover that he would wake up from later.

Chuckling, Dean could almost see the wheels turning in Sammy's head. "Sorry little brother, but yeah… although I really should be thanking you for that, if you hadn't don't your little Carrie impression I'd be cold on the ground by now."

Sam's only response to that was a simple "Huh!" before he looked around a little more aware this time and knew one simple truth, "We're so screwed!"

"Not yet Sammy, hold on ok?" Dean asked as he pulled out his phone and placed a call. "Captain, yeah we're inside… no, it's either the same or more potent… no, the fifth… WHAT?...ok…no I don't like it… yeah, ok, we'll be ready." As he cut the call and put his phone back in his pocket he looked at Sammy and cringed. "Uh, we might have a bit of a problem."

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It hadn't taken the news crews of Lawrence, Ks. long to get wind of the drama that was unfolding at an abandoned apartment building a short ways from the center of town. As the information they received started out sparse, they were more than willing to fill it in with live footage and speculative guesses as to the origin of the blaze and what was being done to ensure the safety of the neighboring areas with more affluent homes.

It wasn't until someone mentioned that not only was there people inside, but one of them was firefighter who was rescuing his brother after being kidnapped the day before, that got anchor personnel in a frenzy to see who would break the real story wide open. With camera's sending their live feeds to the news stations, everyone in town couldn't help but watch with annoyed fascination as the breaking story showed a fire so intense that the firemen weren't allowed in, and the people inside couldn't get out; leaving the one question on everyone's mind… how were they going to survive?

Captain Smythe couldn't stand reporters just for this very reason; they had a tendency to make matters worse. Now as he looked up towards the fifth floor he could only hope that he hadn't just sent one of his men and his brother to their death. As it was though, the blaze was eating through the inner walls faster than they could apply the solution to the outer edges to get closer to the building, much less inside. Days like this made him really start to think about retiring. It wasn't until he heard someone yelling next to him that he was pulled out of his musings and saw that everything was in place. Now all that had to do was trust that Dean could get over his fear of heights long enough to get himself and his little brother to safety.

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Dean hated heights, mainly airplanes, but any actual height will do. So what the Captain wanted him to do was beyond anything that he could have jumped for joy about. In fact he remembered the last time he'd done it; he'd screamed the whole damn time and got ribbed for it for weeks afterwards. Yeah, not exactly manly being reminded that it was amazing how a grown man could sound so much like a little girl. Sighing, he shook his head and guided his brother towards the side of the building that the Captain had so generously decided upon and took a deep breath.

"Sammy, I need you to listen, ok?" he asked, watching carefully for any signs that his brother wasn't truly there with him. "Sammy, I need your help."

Sam looked at his brother and understood that something big was about to happen, and he had no idea how he was going to be of any assistance, but he'd do what he could. Nodding his head, he let Dean know that he was listening.

"Alright, we need to open this window. Can you help me by standing right there and not move?" Dean knew it was a lot to ask at the moment, but he didn't have much of a choice; he had to get the damn window open. After trying several times, he gave up trying to raise the window up and instead broke the glass before looking out and down to make sure everything was ready. Seeing that things were in place, Dean took his jacket off and laid it on the remaining glass fragments. "Sammy, I'm going to help you to the window and I need you to follow me out, alright?" he asked, praying that this worked, because they were only going to get one shot at this. Seeing Sammy's nod, he smiled at the worn out expression on his little brother's face and swore that once they got home, he'd make sure the kid slept a week.

Seeing Dean climb out the window, Sam didn't think things would be that difficult, but he wasn't prepared for the hesitation his limbs seemed to have in following his brain's orders. He knew a lot of that had to do with the smoke he and Dean had been inhaling, especially the last few minutes since they both seemed to be coughing every other breath, but he was sure he should have at least been able to follow his brother out a stupid window. With Dean's help he managed to straighten himself up on the narrow ledge outside the building and he suddenly became more aware of what was going on.

"Damn Dean it's cold." Sam coughed out while Dean did his best to keep them both steady. Finally he looked over and saw his big brother look like he was going to be ill and wondered about it. "Uh, Dean… what's the plan?" he asked then wished he could take it back as he followed his brother's gaze down to an object that looked like one of those inflatable toys used at kid's parties or fairs.

For several minutes the only sounds that could be heard was the roaring of the fire behind and below them, the chatter down below as people rushed back and forth, and the coughing of the two brothers as they pulled the situation into focus. Finally, Dean put his hand on his little brother's shoulder and looked him square in the eyes.

"Sammy, do you trust me?" he asked, all the while praying he wouldn't fail.

Sam looked at Dean, grabbed his shoulder and with firm determination and said, "With my life."

Not hesitating any longer, Dean tightened his grip on his brother and together they jumped off the ledge, never taking their eyes off each other, never breaking contact even when they landed onto the giant air bag; they did it together.

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John and Mary could hardly contain their concern when the news started showing the fire and announcing that a firefighter and his brother were inside. Confident that their boys would get out safely, they were content to watch the TV and attempt to keep Ellie calm. When they saw Dean break the window, they both were sure that there was some sort of mistake; there were no fire escapes, and they were too high up to jump to safety from the window, right? Finally they saw their eldest son guide his younger brother outside and the shock of seeing their injured boy in only his boxers on that Thanksgiving Day was enough to keep both of them speechless even as Ellie kept repeating "JohnnyJohnnyJohnny" while trying to show her bear her Johnny. If either one of them had any doubts about what was about to happen, they were quickly dispelled as they watched both their boys grab each other's shoulders and jump off the ledge as if they had no doubt in the world that they would be alright. It was in that moment that all of those watching in Lawrence, Ks. saw a bond between two brother's, one that would never be broken; not in life, not in death – they were always a part of the other, always and forever.

The evening news would later air the sensational leap of faith of two brothers from a burning building. The morning papers would tell the story of how a long lost brother was saved by his hero big brother while the town watched. Neighbors would talk across the fences about how they always knew those Winchester's were fine people and how they had always believed that the boy had been taken instead of the theory of foul play on Mary's part. The phones of both Winchester's households would continuously ring to no avail as they decided to take a mini vacation after Sam coerced his release from the hospital, it was time for the family to get some much deserved peace and quiet; it had been way too long, and they still hadn't seen the Grand Canyon.


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